


Metamorphose [Part I]

by VendelaP



Series: Metamorphose [1]
Category: Castlevania (Cartoon), 悪魔城ドラキュラX 月下の夜想曲 | Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Genre: Beauty and the Beast Elements, F/M, Falling In Love, Medieval Medicine, Slow Burn, lisa is better than jesus, lisa is vlad's apprentice, middle ages historical relevance, vlad and lisa apprenticeship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-29
Updated: 2020-11-03
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:54:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 28,779
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24986407
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VendelaP/pseuds/VendelaP
Summary: No human had ever surprised him as she did. No human ever had the gall or the courage to burst into his castle, unannounced, insisting that he teach her science and care about humans. No one had dared to. Before, they came for money. The knowledge they desired was for the purpose of defeating their enemies. They came because of petty disputes and pathetic wars, and they begged at his feet like worms.Not Lisa. No. She was strong, independent, intuitive, and young. Full of wit and charm. It had been so long since he had witnessed the beauty and youth of mortals who had not yet become disillusioned to the world. Vlad considered himself. How many years had he been secluded inside his castlekeep, his realm of darkness? As the nights slipped by infinitely and he was unaware of the world around him? His realm was a void, dark and joyless. He had lived that way for a long time. He had made the lonely prison himself. But she was pure light. And he was drawn to her.“I think I might like you,” he admitted, smiling in earnest and meeting her gaze with newfound mirth glittering in his red eyes.(Backstory of Lisa and Vlad's relationship - Canon)
Relationships: Dracula Vlad Tepes | Mathias Cronqvist/Lisa
Series: Metamorphose [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1808386
Comments: 27
Kudos: 33





	1. Prima Intalnire

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first part of my fanfiction novel for Vlad and Lisa: Metamorphose. This story starts at the beginning of the show and carries on directly afterward. It will eventually meet up with Metamorphose [Part II] which is linked above.
> 
> *Note about historical accuracy and realism:  
> Vlad the Impaler was, of course, a real man. He was the human Voivode of Wallachia (the ruler) on and off during the period between 1448-1477AD. In my story, I will be messing with history in this regard to make it relevant to the story and fit with Castlevania’s fictional characterization of Dracula. In my story, I mess with history to accommodate this. Dracula was Voivode (regional ruler in the area of Wallachia) in 1098AD but retreated from the human world after becoming a vampire, and later became feared as an immortal vampire/god. This story begins in 1455, after Dracula has been absent from the human world for a long time, focusing instead on the dark world, which is his domain. So Dracula’s rule would seem to the modern people like ancient history, and the tales of his cruelty would be old stories. I will be incorporating some of the real histories of Vlad the Impaler and mixing it with Castlevania’s characterization when it works to do so. The real Vlad was orphaned, betrayed, and forced into exile before coming back, seizing power, and becoming the gruesome ruler we know about today.

* * *

“ _And in my twisted face_

_There's not the slightest trace_

_Of anything that even hints of kindness_

_And from my tortured shape_

_No comfort, no escape_

_I see, but deep within is utter blindness_

_Hopeless, As my dream dies_

_As the time flies_

_Love a lost illusion_

_Helpless, Unforgiven_

_Cold and driven_

_To this sad conclusion_

_No beauty could move me_

_No goodness improve me_

_No power on earth, if I can't love her_

_No passion could reach me_

_No lesson could teach me_

_How I could have loved her and make her love me too_

_If I can't love her, then who?_

_Long ago I should have seen_

_All the things I could have been_

_Careless and unthinking, I moved onward_

_No pain could be deeper,_

_No life could be cheaper_

_No point anymore, if I can't love her_

_No spirit could win me, No hope left within me_

_Hope I could have loved her and that she'd set me free_

_But it's not to be_

_If I can't love her_

_Let the world be done with me._ ”

-If I Can’t Love Her

(Alan Menken, Beauty and the Beast)

* * *

_Prima Intalnire - First Meeting_

_*The initial dialogue between Dracula and Lisa in this chapter was written by Warren Ellis. All further conversations were written by me, but they are still his characterizations, of course.*_

* * *

“You’re an idiot! A blasted fool,” the man at the bar berated loudly, turning around, “Spinnin’ fancies and stupid stories like that. Don’t tell this young lady such nonsense, you’ll send her off searching through the woods for some mysterious lord that doesn’t exist, and she’ll probably freeze to death on the way.” He burped unapologetically afterward, making the woman in question cringe, turning away from him and back to the ‘idiot’ telling her stories at the small tavern they were all drinking at. She pursed her pink lips in distaste and took a breath, hoping the brutish man would leave them alone. She very eagerly wanted to hear the rest of this story. 

“I’m not an idiot!” Christian yelled back defiantly. The lanky teenager took another swig of his ale before he focused again on the young woman across from him at the table, “I know it sounds strange, but there are things in this world that are hard to believe. And this place- it does exist. I’m sure of it, Lisa. Positive. My grandfather saw the castle with his own eyes!” He insisted, brown eyes blown wide. Lisa sat a little straighter, her elegant hands gripped around her cup of watery ale.

“Are you really certain it exists, Christian?” She whispered, not wanting to draw the attention of the other patrons at the tavern. The yelling man thankfully went back to chugging ale at the counter and turned away from them.

“Yes. My grandpa isn’t the lying sort. Everyone in town knows he doesn’t have a fibbing bone in his body. He saw it, that’s for sure. The only part you can’t be sure of is what or who is inside of that castle... But there are lots of stories.” He nodded, serious.

“Tell me again, what is this castle described as?” Lisa was not convinced of anything yet. She wasn’t even sure if it was real. 

“It’s a huge stone castle, very tall, with turrets and a hundred rooms, at least. My grandfather said it was larger than the Church in Targoviste but much taller and narrower. He said there were hundreds of glass windows, and the most incredible door he had ever seen, made entirely of metal. But in front of the castle, there were many, many pikes. Perhaps a hundred pikes.” His face turned sour when he remembered that part. 

“Pikes?” Lisa scowled in confusion. Chris took another gulp of ale and nodded, disturbed at the thought. It was such a cruel way to kill people.

“Mhm. Skeletons on pikes. They were impaled while still alive, you see, so they died slowly on the pike, bleeding out through their midsection. My grandfather was terrified. He said that as he came up the hill, at first he was happy, because he thought he could ask for directions and food. But then as he came closer down, he saw the horrible display of skeletons. The army of the dead, as he said. On the castle’s front lawn.” Lisa tried to picture such a scene.

“Like the Ottomans do to their enemies sometimes?” She had heard of impalement before. An awful punishment. Whoever had received that torture had surely angered someone serious.

“Exactly. There was a lot of ‘em, my grandpa said. When he finally got to the nearest town he asked the locals about the castle and who lived there. The barkeep and the villagers said that it was Vlad Dracula’s castle, the Viovode who sold his soul to Satan for unimaginable powers. The barkeep there said that his own father saw him, in person, years past.”

“Vlad Dracula?” Lisa scoffed, thinking it completely ridiculous. The ruler of Wallachia’s old history was surely dead. But Christian nodded, totally serious.

“Aye! Dracula himself. He matched the descriptions of old: he is a most terrifying and giant monster. Pale as death. He used to be a man, centuries ago when he was Viovode, but he went mad after he was betrayed, and he sold his soul to Satan so he could gain all the powers to destroy his enemies. That’s how he defeated the Turks- with demon armies given to him by Satan. And because he sold his soul to the Devil, he gained eternal life. Every so often, he reappears, makin’ havoc and killing pretty much anyone who disturbs him. That’s why the army of the dead is there: to keep people away... That’s the legend anyway.” Lisa rolled her eyes, because of course, it was a legend. 

“Well, that’s ridiculous, Christian. Of course, it couldn't be the original Vlad Dracula, he died hundreds of years ago.”

“But the monster of a man identified himself as Vlad Dracula!” He insisted. Lisa made a face that meant she wasn’t convinced.

“Is it not true that Vlad the Impaler’s father was named Vlad, too? And his brother? And his cousin? They’re all named Vladislav. If this is a real person, it is almost definitely the descendant of Vlad the Impaler. The original Vlad the Impaler cannot possibly be alive! He would have to be centuries old.” Lisa whispered-yelled at the crazy notion. She was not so superstitious. In fact, she wasn’t superstitious at all. Lisa had never in her life seen anything of the supernatural. She had only heard whispers and nightmarish tales of people claiming they had seen them on the roads, but she had never encountered any monsters herself. Christian leaned forward on his skinny elbows, scratching his stubbly chin.

“The barkeep said he thinks he’s a vampire,” he muttered under his breath. 

“Of course he did. What a story that makes. Everyone tells tales of vampires, but I’m not sure their even real. Have you ever seen them? I haven’t ever seen one, or known someone who has claimed to see one. They’re probably not real.” The lanky teenager shrugged. Lisa had thought Chris to be one of the most reasonable in town, and quite kind, but she was annoyed to learn that he believed in such ridiculous things as vampires. She did not. 

“Probably. But my grandfather said that the barkeep’s father saw someone come out of there. It’s definitely not abandoned. Someone lives within the castle walls.”

Lisa thought for a moment.

“Maybe it is a descendant of Vlad the Impaler.” She shrugged.

“Could be. There’s definitely someone in ‘ere because my grandfather saw lights and smoke rising from the chimneys. It’s not abandoned. Anyway, there are many stories of what is inside, which is why I’m telling you this. I think you would be interested to know.” Lisa blinked, meeting his gaze. 

“What is supposed to be inside, then?” Lisa wondered, taking a small sip of ale.

“The castle’s filled with all sorts of wonders, completely unlike anything you’ve ever seen before,” Christian animated, eyes shining, invested in the legend. “Wonderous things.”

“What? Chests filled with gold and rubies?” She snarked sarcastically. The daydreams of peasants finding gold in old palaces did not interest her. She was no treasure hunter.

“No, no. The barkeep said his father saw the inside and it was filled with thousands of books! Lots of secret knowledge.” Well. That piqued Lisa’s interest. A private individual having a large collection of books was very rare. Usually the rich only had a few books, a bookshelf at most, not thousands. Not even a monastery had that many. Even if the story was a hyperbole, it was still a start.

“Really? What else?” She leaned closer so they could whisper.

“Amazing things! Strange machines and lightning in cages. Genius inventions.”

Science, perhaps. She was very intrigued, then. A few patrons at nearby tables began listening in to their conversation.

“Hm. Why would the barkeep’s father enter the castle, despite the stories?” 

“Well, he had seen some people come up to the castle when he was traveling from town, and so he knew that it wasn’t abandoned. Someone was there, and the owner of the castle was clearly having rich guests who came by carriages. The tavern owner’s wife was very sick, and they were poor, so he thought that maybe the owner of the castle would give him some gold or medicine. They were desperate because there weren’t any healers in town, you see. So the man went to the castle and ventured inside, looking for the owner. Inside, he saw all sorts of things. The castle was filled with magic, he said, and glass everywhere. There were mirrors and books and wild inventions. Things moved on their own...” Lisa perked up, delighted to hear of such things. Maybe they were scientific instruments. The man could be a prominent scholar. Perhaps he was simply a recluse or something like that. Not a monster. Monsters didn’t have a home full of books as far as Lisa was concerned. To Lisa, monsters were rouge beasts in the woods. Not men who made inventions.

“And lightning danced in glass cages. The lighting lanterns lit themselves.”

“Oh!” That idea captivated Lisa. To have such inventions, the man must be a scientist or an intellectual. She wanted very much to meet him.

“Are you talking about the castle by Micăsasa, Christian?” Another man whispered, sitting down beside them, beer in hand. Lisa did not know the dark-haired man.

“Aye. My grandfather saw it. Didn’t your folks see the castle, too?” He wondered, speaking lowly so they wouldn’t attract attention. The other man nodded, unwashed hair falling over his shoulder. 

“It’s true, what he’s sayin’. My family did see it and heard stories of people who had ventured inside, years ago. My father found the castle once when he went to Micăsasa and got lost getting back. It’s huge, he says, insanely huge. My father said he’d never seen anything like it. The man inside is said to be an immortal Lord who knows everything, including the future. He has secret books and devices- all kinds o’ things. I wish I could have seen ‘em with my own eyes. What did your grandfather hear about the man who lives there?” He asked, turning to Christian beside him.

“He figured the man to be a genius, a scholar of rare intelligence because of his thousands of books and inventions. And perhaps a warlord, too, given the people on pikes out front. Probably his enemies from years past. That seems more likely than a monster. I’ve never heard of a monster who collects books and machines.”

She huffed. “Yes, of course, he’s not a monster. Probably an old warlord. That’s interesting. What happened to the tavern owner of your story?” She wondered.

“The owner of the castle said he wouldn’t help him. And he told him to beg for coins elsewhere. He kicked him out of the palace.” Chris coughed over his shoulder abruptly.

“But he didn’t kill him?” Lisa asked, brow queried.

“No. He lived to tell the tale, obviously. He said that he thought the man was Dracula, and that he was a vampire. Whoever he was, he was incredibly tall and pale, like a ghost.”

“Well, it seems like this man never leaves his castle, so of course he would be pale. That doesn’t mean he’s a vampire. Probably just a solitary man…. And this was how long ago? This story?” She tilted her head, considering the tale.

“Uh, my grandfather saw the castle- let me think... About thirty years ago. It’s not too far from here. He said you have to follow the river to Micăsasa and then travel south another mile or so.” He answered. Lisa considered the story and directions. She would have to travel with a merchant to Micăsasa and then walk the rest on foot, but she could do it.

“My father saw it twenty years ago. I’m sure it’s still there.”

“Maybe I’ll try to go. Perhaps I can convince whoever is inside to let me have access to their knowledge…” she drifted off, thinking about the prospect. She had nowhere else to turn, really. And it was the only lead she had of a scholar in the vicinity anymore. The last lead had denied her most vehemently, literally pushing her out of his house by force, refusing to teach her anything because of her sex.

“You’re crazy, girl. That Lord is not to be messed with. Even my father didn’t dare to reach the door. The road to the castle is lined with a hundred or more people on pikes, left to rot. ‘s a fool’s errand, tryin’ to reach the master.” He shook his head at her.

“I know you’re desperate Lisa, but it might be dangerous,” Christian warned, “Think of all the people he impaled on his front porch. If you anger him, he may kill you too.”

“Then I simply won’t anger him.” She declared like it was obvious. “If I stay here, Christian, I might be killed by the church anyway. They’re beginning to think I’m a heretic in these parts.” She already had her troubles with the church.

“Because you want to learn how to be a doctor?” He scowled.

“Because I’m interested in learning in general. Yes, it’s because I want to be a doctor, but these priests- they don’t really care.” She lowered her voice to a soft whisper so no one else could hear them, “They’ve killed women for less. I’m not safe now, Chris, I’m already in danger. The Abbey kicked me out, and the scholar in town won’t teach me because I’m a woman. I can’t afford to go to Italy or England for school. I’m out of a job. I’ll be out of money very soon. What else am I to do? This may be my only option.” She was truly desperate.

“You could get married,” Christian muttered, looking up at her. The other man chuckled. That was the obvious choice. The reasonable choice. The choice which most women would make in her orphaned situation. Lisa was a renowned beauty. It was hard to tell she was a poor woman at all, for all her fine manners and elegant features. She looked like a princess, not a peasant. And she spoke very well. Her features were fair and lovely. Such a pretty heart-shaped face was enough to capture anyone’s attention, and her blue eyes sparkled when she was excited, making her a charming and entrancing vision. Lovely blonde hair spilled in elegant waves down her shoulders. No man could deny she was a sight to behold, but her personality… Well, it wasn't exactly conducive to marriage.

“I don’t want to get married!” She huffed, serious in tone, “My dreams would die, Christian. I would never become a doctor. I would be told to stay at home, and then I’d be pregnant and caring for my own children, and I’d never get around to learning. No, no, I can’t do that. I have to try to become a doctor. Really try. If he kicks me out, whoever the man is who owns the castle, then perhaps I’ll give up and get married. But marriage is the last resort for me.” She was set on the matter, and Christian laughed in bafflement across the table with the other man.

“You’d rather travel to a castle inhabited by a man claimed to be an immortal monster just so you can look at some books and inventions, rather than get married? You’re an odd woman, Lisa. He could kill you.” Lisa shrugged, not phased by the idea very much.

“So could the Church. They could accuse me of witchcraft any day, tie a bag over my head, and drown me in the river... It’s worth a try to seek him out, I think. The man in your grandfather’s tale survived. He’s probably just a rich and ornery noble, secluding himself in his castle. Or possibly an old warlord with a love of books. Whatever or whoever he is, I think he could help me. I’m not asking for gold. I’m asking for knowledge. It’s different. Since he seems so dedicated to science and study, then perhaps he will understand my plea. The plea of a fellow scholar.”

Christian sighed, his expression full of concern.

“I hope you know what you’re doing, Lisa.” 

* * *

After a full day’s travel, and quite the journey, Lisa found the infamous castle of Christian’s grandfather’s story. It was unlike anything she had ever seen, and she couldn’t help but think that the story did not do it justice. It shocked her. The castle was an edifice of terrifying magnitude and construction. The structure was unbelievably large, and composed in the strangest manner she had ever seen, jutting out in strange places, and much taller than it was wide. Narrow turrets and long hallways stuck out of the towers, and it almost appeared like a giant weapon, somehow, with all its points and sharp edges. She boggled at it, finding it hard to tear her eyes away. But nightfall was approaching, and she wanted to reach the castle’s doors before the last of the light. 

She was delighted that it was real, and not just a myth, but the walk through the legion of the dead was most unsettling. The valley in front of the mysterious man’s castle was full of skeletons. She tried very hard not to let it phase her. Or think about the scenario that must have lead to it. A hundred or so people had been very violently impaled, some decades ago. Probably in a fight over land. Some battle between competing warlords. Lisa hoped that the current owner of the castle was not responsible. The castle was real, and hopefully, the man inside really was a scholar, too. 

After reaching the top of the wide and impressive staircase, a flurry of bats flew at her head, the black blur punctuated by their piercing screeches. The swarm overcame her and Lisa huffed, annoyed as they seemed almost to attack her as a group. She struck one down and grunted as it fell upon the ground. The screeches faded as the mass drifted away from her before flying off into the valley, causing Lisa to look over the mass array of skeletons again. The sun set on the horizon, with the lane of the dead stretching to it, and Lisa had nowhere else to go. The heavy orange and golden light to the west was beginning to fade away, reminding her that finding shelter in the palace was probably her last resort unless she wanted to brave the woods at night. And she did not. The freeze could do her in, she knew.

When she regained her composure, she finally was able to take in the castle up close. The door was magnificent, as described, made of fine metal and embossed in elegant designs. She had truly never seen such a massive door. But, then again, she had never seen such a massive building. It was hard to believe. She gasped as she looked further up and realized she could barely see the top of the doors, they were so high. Unimaginably high. Pistons fired above, and gears turned in synchronous movement, all the proof that the man inside had science. Technology. Things Lisa had never seen, but always dreamt of. She heard a buzz of electricity, a strange noise to her, in the distance, and with decision, she went to the door. For all the trepidation in her heart, there was twice as much courage, and she did not want to be defeated. Not by her own worries. She purposefully swallowed down any inkling of fear in herself and made it her goal to not show an ounce of the emotion on her face. This was her last resort, and she knew she could not mess up this opportunity up, no matter what was inside. 

Lisa knocked on the door with the pommel of her knife, twice. Quickly, the gargantuan doors opened, and she heard the heavy noise of their movement along with the creak of the hinges. Lisa walked inside quickly, encouraged by the doors being opened. Someone had already noticed her. She tried to take in her surroundings quickly, but the magnificence and cold beauty of the room distracted her for a moment. 

The entrance hall was huge, with smooth gothic architecture and an aura of dark supremacy about it. Candelabras illuminated the lower half of the impossibly tall room, on the stone floor and in suspension off the walls. Above, strange light lanterns glowed in an unnatural bluish-white. The lightning cages from the stories, Lisa thought. She walked down the red and gold runner decorated with beautiful and geometric designs. As she walked in, she realized the walls weren’t simple stone, but some sort of polished metal, embossed and decorated. All the perplexing elegance was not appreciated, however, because Lisa knew for certain that she was being watched. She could feel it. Eyes were upon her, somewhere, and it was unsettling because she could see no people. No one at all yet. But she suspected whoever was watching her was hiding, unannounced in the shadows. She decided to start by introducing herself. No more games played in the dark.

The huge doors shut inexplicably behind her, drawing her attention. Someone was there, someone unbeknownst to her. When she turned back to the impressive double staircase, at the apex of it stood a tall man. The man in the shadows, she surmised, but it was still too far for her eyes to see clearly. It was an intimidating staircase, and whoever this person was, an intimidating man already, shrouded in black finery. She sheathed her small dagger very obviously, a sign of her intent not to harm. Her intent was to have a cordial conversation.

"My name is Lisa," she announced in a confident voice, steady and sure. "I am from the village of Lupu. I want to be a doctor." Instead of responding, the man, or creature, walked off and drifted back into the shadows. A moment later Lisa was quite sure she heard him speaking in the shadows to her right, just behind her. Impossible! A chill ran up her spine despite her attempt to stop it. Perhaps she was foolish for thinking there was nothing supernatural going on here. 

"You bang on my front door because you want to daub chicken blood on peasants," he mused darkly, an assumption Lisa did not take well. She inhaled sharply.

"Don't mistake me for a witch! Everybody out there already does that! I believe in science, but-" A sudden noise startled her from the left, what she suspected was his cloak fluttering. He moved very unnaturally as if he was totally weightless. Perhaps he really was a specter.

"I need to know more.” She was desperate to. When he said nothing again, she continued, trying her best to state her point and gain his trust.

"I've exhausted my other options. And all the stories say the man who lives here has secret knowledge."

She froze when he suddenly appeared close behind her and leaned closer, bending down and raising his large hand over her left side. The mysterious figure spoke into her ear, soft breath tickling her ever so gently.

"I am Vlad Dracula Țepeș. And I do not get many visitors. What do you have to trade for my knowledge, Lisa from Lupu?" He leaned even closer, his soft exhale of breath tickling the hairs at the nape of her neck. Her eyes went wide when she realized that he may in fact be the real Dracula from centuries ago, and very dangerous like the stories had warned. However, that did not justify such behavior. She would not cower, not to him or any man.

She was not afraid. He was the rude one, after all.

" _Perhaps I could help you relearn some manners!_ " She quipped, as he had offended her. Lisa turned around quickly, confidently. She looked up to meet his red gaze. She would not allow some recluse to try and scare her, monstrous or not. The towering figure of Dracula raised a brow in surprise. He hadn’t expected that. 

"I've crossed the threshold of your home, and you haven't offered me a drink or even to take my coat." What did she think he was? He wondered if his name didn’t carry weight any longer, if it no longer invoked fear. But, he thought, the legion of impaled skeletons outside should have done that for him. He decided to test her, this apparently brave human who had ventured into his realm bearing only a dagger to defend herself. A dagger and her own wit, he supposed. But he wondered if it would last.

"What if I took a drink from you?" the immortal teased, voice soft and treacherous. "Or have you loaded yourself with silver, crosses, and garlic in superstitious fear?" Lisa’s eyes went wide in mock horror.

"I might have eaten some roasted garlic earlier," she teased back, playing with him.

"Was that rude?" She feigned guilt, sarcastic in her reply. "It was all I had left."

Vlad laughed at that. She was funny, and not as he had expected. Not at all. Other humans carried crosses and garlic and amulets on their person, trying to ward off the devil. Lisa seemed not to care at all. In fact, she was making fun of him in return.

"I'm really not interested in superstition, or being some muttering wise woman cheating people with boiled nettles and entrails.” She insisted passionately as he looked her over, walking around her much smaller form. She was very pretty, despite her peasant garb.

"I want to heal people. I want to learn." Dracula heard no tell of a lie in her voice or her heartbeat. In fact, she was not afraid at all. He seemed to be more unsure of her than she was of him. Lisa was surprised to hear that the stories had checked out this far, but that still didn’t deter her from asking. Nothing would. So what if he was really a vampire? 

" _Will you help me_?" She asked, determined to get his knowledge. Vlad considered her.

He could teach her. He found her complete lack of fear and superstition refreshing, and idly he wondered how long it had been since he had actual conversation with a human being. Perhaps a decade or more. He usually just drained them and went on his way. But here, this strange and beautiful human came to him claiming she wanted to learn about science. How interesting.

"You are definitely different to most humans I have met in recent times,” he decided, and Lisa took encouragement at that. Maybe all he needed was a push in the right direction, and to spend time with a human that would not fear him. Maybe his horrible experience with humans had ruined his perception of them.

"Maybe I can teach you to like people again," Lisa suggested, although she quickly realized that would be a very difficult feat. "Or at least tolerate them... _Or stop putting them on sticks_!" She mused, making light of the horrible situation on his front porch. 

He chuckled at that, a nice sound, and began walking further down the hall. Lisa had to run to catch up with his long legs. He moved very gracefully, as if he was weightless.

"I gave that up a long time ago.” He explained casually, and Lisa wondered how long he had been in this grand castle. She wondered if he was all alone inside. Christian had said it had been some thirty years since his grandfather saw the castle.

"Where is Lupu Village?" Vlad asked curiously. He had never heard of it. Lisa made an assumption before she could stop herself.

"You don't travel much.” Lupu wasn’t that far from his castle, not really. He should know the name. Vlad turned to look down at her. He was so tall she had to crane to look up at him. It seemed everything in the castle was tall and imposing, Dracula included.

"I can travel,” he rebuked, “This entire structure is a traveling machine." Lisa had no idea what he was talking about, or if it was even true, but she knew from the stories that he hadn’t left in decades. Probably thirty years at least.

"But…you don't. _Do you_?" She wondered, searching the darkness and sadness of his pale features. His eyes were so lonely. And he said nothing to the contrary, as she expected. Perhaps he could change! Perhaps she could change his mind.

"Maybe you should. The world is changing. Travel like people do: you might like it!" Lisa encouraged him, this monstrous stranger who impaled people on his front lawn. Vlad found it most amusing, raising his brow again in shock of her unusual nature. He had never met a mortal quite like her. Never before had a beautiful young peasant knocked on his front door and insisted he travel and teach them science. He debated whether she was a naive optimist or foolishly overconfident. Perhaps both, but he found that he liked that for some reason. She was pure youth and beauty, fierce passion, and sincerity. Nothing like he had expected.

"I've known you for two minutes. And you offer for me to walk the earth like an ordinary peasant, while I give you the knowledge of immortals." They stopped walking and he raised his hand, gesticulating to show the room in front of them, glowing in golden majesty. "The true science."

She gasped loudly. It was unlike anything Lisa had ever seen. Unlike anything she had imagined. A grand model of the solar system hung from the ceiling, and the planets moved on their own around the sun. On the far side of the room there was a huge object, like a golden cannon, set up towards the heavens. Christian was right! He was right! Oh, such wondrous things she had found! The space was huge, with two open floors. The bottom, an elaborate laboratory, and the upper, a wrap-around library with thousands and thousands of books. The whole room was full of the ‘secret knowledge’ as so claimed, and she could hardly believe it was real. There were glass cages and domes, metal rods and bubbling liquids in alembics. 

"My!" Lisa swooned. She was dazzled, impressed and inspired. Nothing had ever stunned her so wonderfully before. He had so much knowledge! All these instruments, all these machines and devices! Why did he keep them to himself? 

"They won't be peasants anymore if you teach them. They won't live such short, scared lives if they have real medicine!" She pleaded with confidence, stepping towards him. Everything could be so much better if he just learned to get along with humans. If he just gave people a second chance. All their guesses in the dark would give way to real knowledge.

"They won't be superstitious if they learn how the world really works."

"Why should I do that?" He huffed sardonically, quirking a brow to say he thought the idea ridiculous.

"To make the world better!” She was insistent, determined. Lisa challenged him to be better, to improve his ways. She could help him. She could teach him kindness.

"Start with me,” she suggested, placing a hand on her chest, " _And I’ll start with you_.”

No human had ever surprised him as she did. No human ever had the gall or the courage to burst into his castle, unannounced, insisting that he teach her science and care about humans. No one had dared to. Before, they came for money. The knowledge they desired was for the purpose of defeating their enemies. They came because of petty disputes and pathetic wars, and they begged at his feet like worms. 

Not Lisa. No. She was strong, independent, intuitive, and young. Full of wit and charm. It had been so long since he had witnessed the beauty and youth of mortals who had not yet become disillusioned to the world. Vlad considered himself. How many years had he been secluded inside his castle keep, his realm of darkness? As the nights slipped by infinitely and he was unaware of the world around him? His realm was a void, dark, and joyless. He had lived that way for a long time. He had made the lonely prison himself. But she was pure light. And he was drawn to her.

“I think I might like you,” he admitted, smiling in earnest and meeting her gaze with newfound mirth glittering in his red eyes.

* * *

**Please review! It makes my day.**


	2. trezire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> trezire = awakening
> 
> Dracula shows Lisa the lab and teaches her the foundations of science.

* * *

_“The true heart can tough the poison of hatred without being harmed. Since beginningless time, darkness thrives in the void, but always yields to purifying light.” - Avatar the Last Airbender_

* * *

Dracula’s smile warmed his face for the first time, giving Lisa an idea of what the immortal lord would be like happy. Intrigued. Enamored. His eyes spoke to her in a subtle way, the twist of his lips upward telling her his opinions were earnestly starting to change. A face of stone and sorrow relented and gave way to one that was earnest and alive. Almost human. Lisa caught that brief gaze and held it, smiling for two reasons. One, she liked Dracula as well, and she wanted to let him know that. In the few minutes she had shared with him she could already tell he was a genius. And he had wit. He was contemplative, serious, and alone. Very, very alone. Two, this led her to wonder if the ferociousness he showed her upon first meeting her was due more to the loneliness of his heart than the nature of his kind. But she knew little of vampires or what they were like. But she was interested. Interested to know this Lord who agreed to give her a chance. 

She walked through the laboratory, soaking everything in. It was almost too much for her senses, and too much for her mind to comprehend. Artificial life whirred all around her. Electricity zapped and whirred like lighting inside of glass domes. Pistons fired and alembics bubbled under heat. The technology in the room overwhelmed her. Everything was hyper-modern to the point that it didn’t look real. Everything was stone and metal, gold, and glass. Even the wood of the lab table he had was polished to perfection and glossy so no splinters caught on her finger when she touched it. There were dozens of books just under the table on the lower bookshelves. She looked up at the bookshelves on the second level again.

“This is _unbelievable_. I’ve never seen such a place.”

“Have you had any education, Lisa?” Dracula asked, eyes on her as she took the time to examine the things she had never even imagined. She carefully picked up a glass vial.

“A little, yes. I worked at the hospital in the Abbey during my teenage years. In the city of Brașov. I wanted desperately to attend Schola Medica Salernitana in Salerno, but I can’t speak Italian and I cannot afford to get there, anyway. They’re the only school I know of that would teach medicine to women, and yet they’re too far away and,” she paused, not wanting to draw attention to her lack of wealth, but it was inevitable. She looked up at him.

“I don’t have the money to take a ship. I would have to walk. And I don’t think I would survive that journey.” She admitted. That had been the most disappointing failure for her. She had been so excited and zealous when she heard there was a college that would teach medicine and surgery to women, but she lost that hope when she realized she would probably die getting there because she would run out of money, and once she had finally made it to Salerno, she would not be able to speak their language and get rejected for it.

“I see. Quite a change, this is - coming from an Abbey. Exchanging nuns for Dracula himself,” he mused, and Lisa laughed, finding it quite a funny statement. She gesticulated to draw attention to the magnificence of the laboratory.

“The nuns didn’t offer me this. Only a list of chores and a space on the floor. I’ve never heard or seen such things as this. The stories don’t give your castle justice. No one else could offer me this, I don’t think. No one I would know but you,” she smiled at him, shrugging, “And the nuns and I didn’t get on that well, actually.”

“Oh?” Vlad smirked, fully interested in this beautiful young girl without fear and obsessed with scientific advancement. Had there ever been such a woman? She giggled, walking towards the greenhouses and moving around them while peering inside the glass.

“No, they were a bit too stuffy and religious for my taste. Always going on about virtue and modesty. I cared more about science than anything to do with God, which upset them. I’m not a religious woman. I wanted to read instead of pray.”

“What a travesty,” Vlad mocked them with sarcasm, smirk still in place because he fully enjoyed her wit. 

“What are these?” She wondered, peering through the glass of the greenhouses to see a myriad of plants and herbs growing inside under the electric lights. 

“Miniature arboretums. I call them glasshouses. I can grow any plant under these electric lights, and the area is enclosed to keep the plants at their ideal temperatures and moisture levels. There are plants inside from all over the world, some of them artificially designed. Some are poisonous, some are edible.” He explained, walking up to her.

“Amazing! I can’t believe it. How did you invent this?” She was in awe of him.

“I didn’t. Glasshouses have been around at least since the time of the Roman empire. You will find that many of the technologies and machines in this castle were invented a long time ago, but were lost to humanity through war and abandonment. As I said before, I have the knowledge of immortals.”

“You are immortal yourself, yes?”

He nodded.

“May I ask a personal question, my Lord?” She turned to face him, polite but confident.

“Yes.”

“How old are you?” 

Vlad made a little noise of amusement in his throat. He walked around a lab counter, cape flowing behind him.

“Let’s see. The current year is 1455, yes?” He asked, and Lisa nodded with a furrowed brow, wondering if he was really such a recluse that he was not sure of the year. How long had it been since he had left the castle? A decade?

“Then I am 393 years old this December.” Lisa’s mouth fell open in shock. So the stories were true! Christian was not an idiot after all, nor was the barkeep from years ago. Could it really be real? He had lived so many lifetimes. 

“Holy…” she trailed off in shock, her wide eyes on him and mouth still agape. How could such a thing be true? Lisa’s mind struggled to comprehend.

“There is nothing holy about me, I assure you. How old are you, Lisa?” He turned the question back on her, but she was still reeling from his age. He seemed ancient, and yet he was still virile and relatively young in appearance.

“I wouldn’t have guessed you were a day over thirty-five, from appearance alone,” she baffled, thinking about the incredulity of his age. How much experience he had. So much knowledge. Vlad smirked.

“That’s how old I was when I became immortal. We vampires tend to look the same forever. Pray, what is your age, Lisa?” He asked again.

“I’m twenty-two.” She was past the normal age for marriage, and because she worked with the nuns, people in the community assumed she was going to be chaste forever and become a nun herself. Lisa had no desire to be chaste forever, but she was far too focused on her education and work to get married. She didn’t want to get pregnant when she needed to be learning.

“Do you have any family, Lisa?”

“No, none at all. My family died in the plague. My parents first, and then my sister later on with another illness. I was an orphan at sixteen.” 

“But you didn’t marry?” He asked, already knowing the answer.

“No. Men don’t want wives who stick their nose in books and dedicate their lives to science. Men don’t want to marry doctors,” she muttered nonchalantly, at peace with the concept of never marrying. She would rather dedicate her life to her career than get married, and to her, it seemed that it would have to be one or the other. Vlad scoffed, which took Lisa by surprise. She looked at him.

“Dense human men, perhaps,” he noted offhandedly. It was a casual comment but Lisa wondered for a moment if he was flirting. It seemed an odd statement, regardless. Lisa studied his handsome face and contemplated it. What else was that supposed to mean? She wondered if he noticed her blushing because he quickly moved on to another question. 

“What did you do after your family died, then?” He went on.

“I went to the convent to work with nuns in their Abbey and heal the sick. Treat the infirm. They knew little of science, but they had some practical teachings and knew things that were passed down to them. There were a couple of books in the Abbey, and they taught me to read Latin and some Greek.”

“Well, that’s good. How is your fluency?”

“In Latin, I’m quite fluent. But I’m not that strong in Greek yet. I’m still learning. They didn’t teach me as much Greek.”

“Have you practiced writing?” 

“A little. But paper and bound journals are pricey, so not as much as I would wish. I apologize if I’m not practiced at it now, but I can study very hard and work quite fast. My mind is sharp, and I am dedicated.” She assured him, eyes ablaze with passion.

Vlad nodded, smiling a little. She was a firebrand. Certainly didn’t get that from the nuns.

“I understand that you could only do so much as you were able to. Did they have an employed physician at the Abbey?” Many monasteries and Abbeys, which operated partly as hostels and hospitals, employed a physician who was usually trained both in religion and medicine. 

“Yes, a man named Darius, but he didn’t think women should learn medicine so he often refused to teach me things. I persisted, but he died a year after I came there. Despite my desire to learn everything I can about medicine, I still know very little. And many of Darius’ methods proved ineffective.” She thought back on his failed attempts at curing sicknesses. 

“I will tell you this now, Lisa. Most of what you learned thus far has been utterly wrong and foolish. Humans in Wallachia know little or nothing of science, and what they do claim to know is largely wrong. This will be a challenge to you in many ways if you do choose to stay here and learn. I know the true sciences. I’m an expert in physics, mathematics, algebra, geometry, astronomy, chemistry, and alchemy. Many people find these subjects as being incorrectly tied to witchcraft. I am an expert in magic, too, but that is not why you have come. I can teach you of the properties of the physical world, the anatomy of the human body, and methods of creating medicines and performing surgeries. But the people out there will question your knowledge, Lisa. They will wonder how you could ever know such things and rebuke you, discourage you, and discredit you. They may likely brand you a witch or a heretic. They may even try to kill you because they think you are practicing against the church’s wishes.”

Lisa sighed, looking down at the polished floor and Dracula’s elegant boots.

“I am aware of the dangers I face. I’ve already faced them. I was banished from the Abbey for neglecting my prayers and debating their teachings. They didn’t like that I wanted to learn about science. It’s a tremendous challenge ahead of me, I’m sure. But I will do everything in my power, small as it may be, to learn these sciences and put them to good use. I promise.” She assured him, her gaze steadfast and serious. Vlad inhaled through his nose.

“ _Careful_ , Lisa. Humans often break their promises. Are you truly as dedicated as you claim?” His gaze held her in her place. She did not falter. She did not back down.

“Yes, I am entirely dedicated. You saw me walk through your front door, yes? Past the army of the impaled? Clearly I’m no stranger to intimidation and danger. I’m willing to put myself at risk. I already have by coming here.” Vlad considered that, nodding. She had already dealt with the dangers involved in learning, that much was true. She was a brave woman. He only hoped it wouldn’t bring her downfall. 

“Indeed.”

“So, do you agree to teach me about science, Master Dracula? Will you accept me as an apprentice?” She asked for clarification, lacing her hands behind her back and standing tall.

“An apprentice?” He almost laughed at the term. Apprentices studied under dressmakers, blacksmiths, and cooks. Common surgeons. Not masters of science and dark magic, the Lord of the Night World Himself, the King of Immortal Darkness. Vlad supposed she meant apprentice in the practical meaning of the word; He as the Master would provide her with food and lodging, teaching her all needed for her craft. Traditionally, there would usually be some sort of compensation, but not in Lisa’s case. She had nothing worthy to give him in terms of coin or patronage, and he didn’t want it anyway. 

“I have almost nothing to provide in terms of payment, but it seems as if you are already rich enough so I doubt that will be an issue,” she looked around, sure of the matter after seeing his gold and mirrors and thousands of books. “ _Will you train me_?”

A pause. Lisa bit her lip.

“I will try,” Vlad nodded, his gaze holding her, keeping her feet planted on the ground before him, “But I have had many issues with humans in the past. As you well know. I have little tolerance for sloth or ineptitude. And I have zero tolerance for dishonesty. I need to see that you are capable of keeping up with me, that you are worthy, and that your mind is sharp enough for the tasks at hand. To be a competent physician, you will need to fully understand the human body and its ailments, the composition of this world, chemical reactions, and more.”

“I want all of those things. I assure you I am up to the task of learning. I work very hard, and I am an honest person.” Dracula did not see any reason to deny that yet, as he had no reason to. Only his perception that all humans were incompetent and deceitful. 

“Hm. Perhaps you are. We will see.” Lisa was different. He led her to the center of the room.

“Why did you say this world, my Lord? Before- you said the composition of this world, not the world. Why? The way you said it you made it sound as if- as if there are more than one.”

“Well, surely you know of the other planets, yes?” He gestured to the gilded solar system hanging from the ceiling. “Of course our world is not the only one.”

“I am aware of the other planets. But the way you worded it, it sounded as if you think there are other planets similar to ours. With life.”

Vlad was silent for a moment, and he only took in Lisa’s expression, watching her think and search his expression for the answer.

“There are many things you do not know, Lisa. Be prepared for this. If you study in my libraries, in my laboratories, you will find many things other people have no idea of whatsoever. I’ve dedicated my life to studying and inventing for centuries. Many of the objects and inventions you will find within my castle are of my own design.”

Lisa looked around once more, dying to know what everything was and how it worked.

“Yes, this is what the stories spoke of. Your vast knowledge and many fantastical devices. It’s amazing, my Lord! How many books do you own?”

“A million, perhaps.”

“Oh my! I would like to learn everything that I can from them. As much as I am able.” Vlad smiled at her enthusiasm, her zeal. She was very different from the people he usually spoke with: age old vampires as cynical and frustrated as him. Lisa was a beam of light.

“Very well. I suppose it is time someone makes use of my collected knowledge for some practical purpose.” Lisa smiled.

“Yes! What good is all of this wealth and all of these inventions if no one ever sees them? Why keep all these books if no one ever learns from them but you?” Lisa posed, walking around, her eyes still struggling to take in the scientific majesty of the room.

“Hm... I suppose that-”

“Wait,” Lisa interrupted him, “Did you say that there are other planets with life on them? Or did you deny it? You didn’t answer the question plainly.” He huffed at her.

“Do not interrupt me so, Lisa,” Vlad warned, peeved at being spoken over. Lisa’s eyes widened and she put her hand over her mouth in a conciliatory gesture. 

“I’m sorry, Lord Dracula. I was a little too excited- that was rude.” She apologized, and Vlad waved a dismissive hand, overlooking it.

“There are such worlds, Lisa. There is intelligent life on other planets. Not in our planet’s solar system,” he gestured again to the planets above turning on their axes and moving around the sun. “But there are such worlds. And intelligent life does exist elsewhere.”

Lisa gasped. She couldn’t believe he could know such a thing.

“Amazing! How do you know?” She wondered, her expression excited and intrigued. 

“Well, aliens have visited the Earth before, and their visits have been documented. People mistook them for gods and worshiped them, mainly because they had technology so advanced the humans thought they weren’t people at all. And their appearance would be different, of course.” He had read such accounts and seen the evidence of their travels with his own eyes.

“Similar to your kind, then? I’ve heard some stories of immortals being worshiped as gods. Given sacrifices and such.”

“Yes, some people still worship me as a god, although not as much as of late because I’ve been so absent from the world. But there are such people, involved in cults and dark magic. Mostly ignorant fools who try to summon me to bid their doing, which I deny.”

Lisa found the idea strange, but she knew there were such people in the world. 

“Oh. I don’t even know what the proper term is for your kind. What should I call you?”

“There are many different terms for our kind, and many of the stories are quite misinformed. People are often confused about what we are like and how our afflictions affect us. Some confuse us for incubi or succubi, which are different from us. There have been many names for my kind… _pijavica, strix, dearg-due, izcacus, vrykolakas_ , by way of the Greeks. And we are often called _strigoi_ in this region. That term you probably have heard before.”

Lisa inhaled sharply, remembering the scary stories she had heard in taverns.

“Yes, I have heard of the legends of the strigoi. Powerful creatures that arise from the grave. They can transform into animals, feed on people, and become invisible.” She thought back on the nightmarish tales that she had previously thought were foolish and born from ignorant fear of dead bodies and nighttime. But they obviously had the root of truth, because a vampire was standing before her, complete with pale skin, sharp fangs, red eyes, and nails like talons. 

“But, we’re not just a legend, are we, Lisa? You have already seen as such. You’ve seen me. I am such a legend, standing here before you.” He waved his hand and Lisa looked at it, his long nails sharpened into points. 

“Yes, yes. Of course.” She was reminded of his movements as he floated around her, fading in and out of visibility. Baring his fangs. The stories were at least partially true. “So, do you use that term to describe yourself? Strigoi?” 

Vlad shook his head in the negative.

“We use the Serbian term, vampire, which most people know throughout Europe and beyond,” he explained, watching Lisa as she became distracted by everything in the room. She nodded and touched a couple of vials gently, inspecting the fine glasswork and contents within. Vlad thought that she seemed to care much more about the scientific instruments than about mysticism or the undead. Good.

“I confess I know very little of your kind, Dracula. And that which I have heard is from folklore or stories.” She looked back to him, blue eyes meeting red. Vlad saw that there was no fear within her. He felt nothing of fear in her heartbeat or her breathing, the same as before. Vampirism didn’t seem to frighten her at all, oddly enough.

“Tell me what you have heard of vampires, Lisa.” She looked away, thinking.

“I have heard that vampires hunt in the night. That they kill humans and some large animals like livestock, drinking their blood to regain vitality. I heard that they are very pale and frightening in appearance, with glowing eyes and sharp teeth. Some say that they linger around graves, or that they are created by magical means like curses. In my village of Lupu, the graves were inspected for cases of vampirism… But people debated about how vampires are created. There are many theories and beliefs, that babies born out of wedlock become vampires, and so are babies who are born with a caul or a tail. Others say that if a vampire or witch looks upon an expectant mother, she will be cursed to give birth to a vampire. And I did hear once from a man in a tavern that if a black cat walks right in front of your path, you may become a vampire, but I laughed in his face.” Vlad chuckled, finding the tales of humans odd and amusing. 

“None of those things turn a person into a vampire,” he refuted, chuckling still. 

“What does make a vampire, then?” Lisa wondered.

“I will tell you. But I should first offer you something, yes? Since I am so impolite, as you have pointed out,” he smirked without malice, “Would you care for something to eat or drink?” Lisa smiled.

“As long as it’s not blood, then yes,” she joked casually, making Vlad huff at her odd calmness at being around a vampire. She was an unusual woman, that was for sure. Dracula wondered if she had been born without the ability to fear. He had known people throughout the centuries with all kinds of personalities, and he was sure that some people were born without the ability to feel guilt. There were several vampires and others he could name that never felt a speck of guilt for any atrocity they ever committed. Vlad did not often feel guilty himself, but he was capable of the emotion. He wondered if it might be possible for a human to never feel afraid.

“You truly have no fear of me, do you?” Vlad wondered, looking at her. She scowled.

“No, not really. I think already we moved past the idea of you drinking all my blood and tossing my withered carcass out onto the lawn, didn’t we? Or do we need to revisit that subject?” She asked with mirth in her eyes. Vlad chuckled.

“No, we’re certainly past that. Would you like to eat dinner? I can have something prepared for you,” he offered, “And then we can discuss matters of science and mysticism together.” Vlad was very excited at the thought of having company, strangely enough. He hadn’t spoken to anyone he would call a friend or a fellow scholar in a very long time. And Lisa’s presence was exhilarating to him.

“Yes, certainly! I am quite hungry,” she admitted, smiling sheepishly. “Thank you.”

“And I suppose I should have my servants ready a room for you, yes?”

“If it’s not an imposition. I’m not fussy by any means,” Lisa responded, trying not to be a nuisance. But she doubted he had guests much at all. Dracula led her to a dining room, ushering her to sit and wait as he instructed his staff about dinner and her room elsewhere. The dining room was warmed by a large stone hearth, made of beautifully decorated marble. The fire sparked and crackled in front of the dining table. Everything in Dracula’s castle was fine and luxurious, but not overbearing. The dining table was large, well-polished wood that Lisa didn’t recognize. It was dark reddish-brown and looked very expensive. The walls were covered in wallpaper with damask patterns and the curtains were drawn to cover the large windows on the other side of the room. Lisa noticed a painting on the stone wall behind her, a beautifully rendered depiction of a mountain and valley beneath it, with immaculate brushwork. She had never seen a painting so fine or so realistic. 

The amount of wealth in Dracula’s home was insane. She couldn’t begin to fathom how much it would cost to build such a castle and fill it with so many expensive things. The number of books was more than she could ever fathom or imagine the cost of. Basic prints were not so pricey then but bound books with handwritten calligraphy cost a tremendous amount of money. One book cost the same as a warhorse or a whole year’s salary for a peasant. It took weeks to make just one. Lisa had heard of a new type of book, made on a printing press, which had just been invented by a German man named Gutenberg. But still, a book was a very luxurious item to own. To own a million, as he had so claimed, he could very well be the richest man in Europe. She wondered if he was. Lisa’s mind was spinning, wondering how he had so many riches and technology. People said Dracula was involved with the devil, that he was an evil man who experimented in all sorts of dark sorcery and demonology. Who gave him such riches? Were they spoils from his old conquests? Was his money stolen, or possibly given to him by Satan? Lisa was not a superstitious woman by any sort, but upon seeing his home with her own eyes, she began to wonder. Had he really sold his soul to Satan for all this earthly knowledge? Dracula entered the room, opening the wooden door, holding a heavy pitcher in hand. He set it before her and took a silver chalice from a cabinet, placing it before her.

“Is it water?” She asked, and he nodded, sitting down elegantly.

“Dinner will be ready soon.”

“How many servants do you have?” Lisa asked as she had not seen a single one. 

“A considerable number, but they are not humans. They linger in the shadows, and you will not be able to see most of them. Do not fear, however. They won’t harm you. You are my guest, and they know not to approach you.”

“What are they? Vampires?” She asked, pouring some water and drinking.

“Some of them are. But I am not only the Lord of vampire society. There are many other creatures of the night under my domain. I am the Lord of Darkness, the ruler of the night world.”

“I thought that was supposed to be Satan,” Lisa mused dryly with a quirked brow. Vlad chuckled. She was not intimidated by his titles or darkness, and he found that he liked that. She was different. She was interesting and brave.

“I’m not Satan. We’re quite different, but - it’s a common mistake,” he joked, chuckling along with Lisa. She shifted, looking him over in all his finery and pale, handsome features.

“I still don’t really understand what you are. Who you are. What is the truth about vampires then? What are your kind really like?” She wondered. Their existence was shrouded in mysticism and secrecy, and she knew little of the supernatural world. 

“We’re not all the same. I am no ordinary vampire. The nuances of my nature may be difficult for you to understand, given you’re not knowledgeable of the supernatural, but I will try to explain in the most simple manner I can. An ordinary vampire is turned in a very specific way. A human is first bitten by the vampire, who secretes a venom into the human, and then the human must later bite the vampire who turned them and drink some of their blood. Then the transformation process is sealed by the new vampire going on their first hunt and drinking the blood of a human.”

“That’s a lot of biting,” she mused comically, making a face. Vlad smirked again.

“The only other way is by magical means, which is much rarer. A difficult spell or curse may result in vampirism but is very complicated. Vampirism really has nothing to do with babies or graves. Humans likely associate our kind with that because they have a fear of anything that has to do with death or anyone who looks even slightly different than them.”

Lisa pursed her lips, taking a slightly offended tone.

“Well, I’m a human and I don’t think that, Master Dracula. I never have thought birth defects of babies cause or are caused by curses or witches. I think they just happen sometimes, quite naturally. As many ailments do.” He considered Lisa for a moment. If she had any hidden agenda he couldn’t tell, and she didn’t have any air of suspicion or manipulation about her. She seemed earnestly different than the rest. He nodded slowly.

“Indeed. As I said before, you are quite different from the humans I have known.”

“What are vampires like? Generally speaking?”

“Vampires are awake at night, and many cannot bear the sunlight as it sears their skin. Holy water is the same, as well as garlic. I am not so affected, although I do grow tired during the daytime hours as all vampires do. And magical weapons can harm me, but never fatally so. Vampires drink blood, either from humans or animals, although human blood is more satiating to us.” She considered this, thinking.

“How did you become a vampire, then?” Lisa wondered curiously. Vlad sighed through his nose. It happened a very long time ago.

“I was turned by magical means of my own accord. I was firstly a master sorcerer and alchemist, and I wanted to gain eternal life by any means necessary. To achieve immortal life, as well as the prodigious powers of which I am capable, I used a soul gem called the Crimson Stone. I still have it today,” he explained, reaching for a chain around his neck and pulling out the amazing stone embedded in silver which hung on a necklace he had previously kept hidden between his shirt and his outer clothes. It was a large ruby-colored gem, although it glowed quite unnaturally, giving off a radiance that seemed supernatural. 

“How interesting! But why did it make you a vampire? And what is a soul gem, really?”

“A soul gem holds the soul and powers of a dead person within it. It’s a difficult technique to master, but if one is talented enough, they can trap the soul of another in a particular gemstone when they kill said person, and later that power can be used from the gem. The powers and abilities of the dead soul can be transferred to another through a complex magical process, granting all the powers to that person.” 

“So, it’s like stealing their essence and taking it for yourself?” Lisa asked, blonde eyebrows knit together. She took another drink.

“In a way. By taking the powers and abilities of the master vampire and sorcerer, I also took with it the affliction of vampirism that he had. But I gained immortal life as I wanted.”

“How unusual. You must be an incredibly talented sorcerer to pull off such a thing,” Lisa surmised, thinking what an immense talent something like that would take. Vlad held her gaze for a moment.

“Thank you.”

“But there’s always a price to pay with dark magic and vampirism, isn’t there? You get power, but to get that power you must always take it from someone or something. There’s always an element of stealing or death involved in some way, isn’t there?” 

Vlad almost smiled at her philosophical thought. He could tell already she had the mind of a philosopher and a scholar. She thought deeply about things, considered their meaning and circumstances. Not an ordinary peasant. That was clear.

“Yes. There’s always a matter of balance. In magic and in death. To gain, you must take.”

“You see, that’s why I’m not interested in dark magic or any of that. I don’t want to hurt people or take their souls or their life. I want to help them live better, longer, healthier lives. Not harm them. That’s why dark sorcery would never interest me. Thank you for being honest about it. I admit I may be interested if there wasn’t hurt involved, but I couldn’t do that. I couldn’t bear the guilt of killing people. It’s against my nature.”

Vlad was about to respond, but before he could two servants came in and produced dinner on silver platters, laying it on the table along with cutlery and a bottle of wine. Lisa tried to get a good look at them, but they darted away before she could see much. All she noticed was a flurry of movement and pale hands. Then she was quickly distracted by the food placed before them. Wonderful smells filled her nose and stirred her appetite. There was a roasted chicken, warm bread, cheese, bean soup with ham, and zacuscă, a vegetable dip made of cooked eggplants and carrots. Lisa smiled and a little noise of excitement escaped her lips. 

“It all looks amazing! Ah,” she sighed, taking a piece of warm bread and buttering it. Vlad only watched her, his gaze steady and appreciative. It was strange for him to have anyone in his castle who was happy. He had almost forgotten the emotion. After taking her first bite she chewed and caught his gaze. The pretty blonde scowled, wondering why he wasn’t taking anything.

“Aren’t you hungry?” She wondered, confused. “I don’t suppose you’re waiting to pray before we start the meal.” She jested, noting his stillness.

“I’m not interested,” he muttered. “Would you like some wine?” He asked, picking up the bottle and uncorking it. 

“Yes, please. Do you vampires not eat anything?” She couldn’t imagine that. A life without food. Vlad poured some wine for her into a glass cup, something Lisa had never seen before. Glass was so expensive that in her peasant life she had barely ever seen it. And in Vlad’s castle, it seemed to be everywhere, in alembics and bottles, vases and windows and tubes. She picked up the wine glass carefully, feeling it in her hand for the first time. It was so smooth to the touch. But she didn’t want to comment on such things. She didn’t want to draw attention to her poor background for fear that Dracula would find her uneducated or want to distance himself from her.

“We do, sometimes. But food doesn’t interest me much anymore. That can happen after living a dozen lifetimes,” he teased dryly. Lisa’s eyes went wide. A dozen lifetimes. 

“But please, eat and enjoy yourself.” She made a plate for herself, eating without him. 

“What is the night world like? What is true about vampires?” She asked, cutting some chicken for herself. 

“Some eat food as humans do, although it’s not necessary. Some of us tire of food and forgo it. We have our own society, our own councils, and politics. That is the realm in which I am involved. I left human politics behind long ago. We have our own wars and disputes. Vampire society is extremely different to human society here in Wallachia. People have more freedom to do as they please. We are not constrained by the ludicrous and astringing rules of the Catholic Church, of course. We do have some rules between us, but they are few. I am the leader of all vampires, and my subjects must obey me. But they have significant freedom. They are free to research and practice whatever they wish. There is no such thing as a banned book in my realm.

We are free to live as we please. My subjects can marry whomever they wish, including those of the same sex. They can experiment with science and magic. They can organize their own kingdoms in the way they see fit. I only step in if there is something truly ridiculous or horrible going on. Or if there is an insurrection against me. And I protect my subjects if they are loyal to me. I send my armies to protect them and ward off the humans with their pitchforks and torches. Or I just send creatures of the night, who seem to get the job done easily enough most of the time. I have held my title and power in the night world for over three centuries, and no one has ever succeeded in their rebellions against me. This has made the attempts lessen over time.”

Lisa nodded, thinking about what he was saying.

“How interesting. Does it give you pleasure, controlling everything? Does that make you happy?” Lisa asked. Vlad scowled deeply, tilting his head.

“Happy? I’m the Lord of Darkness, what gives you the impression that I’m ever happy?” Vlad tossed back sarcastically. Lisa almost spat out her soup.

“You’re funny. Alright, then. If it doesn’t make you happy, why do you do it? Why is it important to you?” Lisa wondered, trying to understand him. Understand his motivations.

“Well, I have enjoyed it somewhat, yes. Having things the way that I want them to be. Living in a world free of the church and it’s egregiously horrible stipulations and laws. My main motivation to establish my power was to combat the church, not to find happiness. I wanted to be free of their idiocy. I hate the Church, Lisa. I wanted to show them that they can’t control everything. They can’t control me. And that I could establish a power structure in opposition to them and keep it. When I created this society from a group of scattered and unbounded vampires and night creatures, I set out to show God that he couldn't control me. He cannot control my actions, and neither can the Church. I am independent and immortal. No longer in his domain. I created my own, which I have kept for almost four hundred years.”

“So everything you did was to spite God?” Lisa asked, her eyes focused on him as he explained his position.

“And to spite the humans who betrayed me and ruined my life. And the Church for doing everything which I despise.” 

“Hm,” Lisa made a noncommittal noise, taking a piece of bread and dipping it in the eggplant dip. Vlad wondered how a woman who was raised partly in an Abbey could be so nonchalant about him creating a power structure opposite to God and the Church.

“Are you offended by any of this?” He asked sincerely.

“Your past?” Lisa scowled, and he nodded. She chewed for a while, thinking it over.

“Well, I truly hate the church. Without question. I hate the control they have over everything, and the way people listen to them without question. They’re hypocritical and corrupt. I suppose we have a common enemy, there. I mean, I don’t have any personal vendetta with God, not at all, but I think it would be better if the Church didn’t exist. I know there are a few good priests and bishops, of course, but there is so much corruption perpetuated by them as a group. They claim to be the followers of Christ, and yet they live opposite of the way that he wanted. All they care about is money and power. They take and take from the poor, only to fill their own pocketbooks and furnish their lavish apartments. They’re disgusting men. It’s revolting to preach about good virtues and modesty while you’re taking beggar’s coins and using them to buy yourself golden chalices and whores. They could use all the money they spend on their luxuries and distribute it to the poor and the needy.”

Vlad’s tension faded as he heard her voice his main issues with the Church. She understood. She was not blinded by their lies and corruption. She went on,

“They interpret the Bible in the way that is convenient for them, overlooking the parts about kindness and using some random passages to justify killing and conquering and vanity. They want to kill anyone who is different and anyone who stands opposed to them. Ten percent or more of everyone’s income goes to them automatically and for what? Almost no good comes of it. It only inflates their wealth and power over everyone, ruining our lives. Killing innocent women by perpetuating the lie that they are witches. I would like to see their control fall and have there be a separation of church and state... Honestly, I’d like the Catholic Church to fall altogether. I don’t approve of their ways: tricking people into paying to get into heaven, condemning anyone different, condemning knowledge and learning.”

“I agree with you, Lisa. We have the same opinion in this matter.” Vlad crossed his legs, nodding. Lisa ate for a while and Vlad looked away, thinking. She washed the food down with some wine and then she muttered casually,

“Fuck the Church.”

Vlad started to laugh, a deep, pleased sound.

“No wonder the nuns kicked you out,” he teased with a quirks brow. Lisa laughed too, then. She finished her meal quickly.

“I’m full. Thank you for the meal,” she smiled, wiping her hands with a napkin. Vlad nodded.

“Do you wish to begin tutoring after you eat, or would you prefer to sleep and start tomorrow night?” Lisa shook her head vehemently.

“I can stay awake for a while more.”

“Are you sure?” Vlad knew most humans rose and fell with the sun, and it was a while past sundown already.

“Yes, yes. I can stay awake for a few more hours. I've been waiting to be educated for years. I’m not sleepy. I’m excited.” She insisted, eyes alert. A smile appeared on her face, and Vlad found it most endearing. He drummed his fingers on the table.

“Alright. In matters of math and science, am I to assume we are starting at the beginning? I’m sure you already have some practical knowledge about medicine and healing, but in regards to measurements, algebra, and chemistry, I am to assume we are starting with the basics, yes?”

Lisa folded the napkin and put it on the table.

“I know how to count well and I have some experience with addition, multiplication, and division, that sort of thing. But we can start at the beginning, yes. Math and science are new subjects to me because I’ve never been taught them- except basic arithmetic by my parents. I know nothing of algebra but I want to learn. If I know something, I will let you know, but generally speaking... I know nothing. That’s why I came to you. No one else will agree to teach me because I’m a woman.” She explained her predicament. Science and math were barely ever taught in the first place, and almost never to a woman. Not in Wallachia.

“That is fine. I’m not exactly pressed for time, Lisa. But I will not spend a lot of effort working on these basic subjects. I will explain them thoroughly once and then you will be expected to master them. You can practice in the daylight hours when I am asleep. I want to be teaching you new things at every lesson. If there’s something that you are really struggling with, we can review it, but I hope it won’t be an issue.”

“I understand. I will study very hard and practice, I promise. I’m not lazy.” She sounded sure of herself, which Vlad hoped was not optimistic. It would be hard work.

“Mm. I should hope not. Shall we begin the first lecture tonight, then? I will start at the very beginning. The basic foundations of science and math.”

“Yes! Thank you,” she beamed, “I am so excited to begin. You have no idea how long I’ve searched for someone knowledgeable to teach me-” Lisa stopped herself, tilting her head and looking up at him through blonde eyelashes with a good amount of mirth.

“Well, I suppose you do know how long, considering you're almost four-hundred years old, but it’s just an expression.” She shrugged cutely. Vlad chuckled at that, Lisa joining in. 

“I understand. If you’re done eating let’s begin, then. Come with me to the lab.”

* * *

Once they were properly seated, Dracula began their first lesson. 

“To understand science, you must start at the very beginning. You must understand the most simple components of life and structure before building your way up to understanding complexities like the human body and its ailments. You have to start at the foundations of science. Science is a way of understanding everything that is around us and explaining the complexities with facts and math. We do not assume understanding about anything, but rather we uncover the truth with study and hypotheses. Science is a series of questions and answers. Questions about how things work, how things are made, why they act the way they do, and what made them that way. That is the basis of science: questions and answers.”

“Yes. I understand.” She nodded, eyes, and ears on him.

“And so we begin. The first question shall be ‘What is the universe made of?’ The most fundamental building blocks of everything are atomos, a name created by the Greeks. I call them atoms. Now, the Greeks asked this question and hypothesized about its answer. What is everything made of? What is the smallest possible part of anything? The Greek philosophers Leucippus and Democritus speculated about this, and they surmised that matter - meaning anything physical - must be composed of tiny, indivisible particles. So small in fact that the human eye cannot see them. They were only theorizing about this idea, but they were correct. I know this because I have tested their theory and come to the conclusion myself using science.

Centuries ago, I created something called a microscope. The prefix of the word, micro, comes from the Greek word _mikros_ which means small in size. The suffix, scope, comes from the Greek word _skopein_ , which means a way to view. Together, they mean a way to view tiny things. A microscope. I used a combination of two lenses to create this. Lenses are pieces of glass that are curved and smoothed. One focuses on the object, and the other magnifies it so that the eye can see something incredibly microscopic. Take a look for yourself. Put your eye here, and adjust with these knobs until you can see clearly. I will help you,” Dracula explained, moving the microscope to her and guiding her to peer through the microscope. He adjusted the knobs for her until she could see and the object came into view. Lisa gasped.

“I can see it! I can see it. What is it?” She looked back up at Dracula above her.

“That’s the stem of a rose. You can see the individual plant cells within, yes?” 

“What are cells?” She quirked a brow. Vlad pursed his lips.

“Ah, yes. We’ll get to them soon.” 

She looked back through the microscope, blonde braid falling over her shoulder.

“This is amazing! You actually invented such a magnificent device yourself?” 

“I did. I didn’t invent glass lenses, but I combined them to create microscopes and telescopes. That is the telescope of my design,” Vlad pointed to the large gilded telescope set up to look out the window. Lisa followed him over, noting how elegantly he moved on the floor, almost like he was gliding weightlessly. A specter amongst mortals. It was very intriguing to her.

“Tele is a Greek word that means distant. Combine it with scope and you create a telescope-”

“A way to view distant objects!” Lisa beamed, blue eyes bright. Vlad nodded, setting up the lenses for her to peer through.

“Precisely. With this combination of lenses, you can see objects incredibly far away. A telescope magnifies the image and brings it to your eye. The object, a planet in this case, is far and dim, and so we need a large objective lens to gather as much light as possible. This brings it into a bright focus. The telescope is larger and longer because it brings the subject into focus farther away before bringing it to your eye.”

“Oh my! It’s amazing!” Lisa adored the invention, her heart thumping in scientific pleasure. Vlad soon discovered that she did not really understand the solar system at all, another fault of the Church’s teachings, so he explained it to her, using the telescope and the model above. She was eager to learn everything, he noticed. After reviewing the solar system and the general notion of orbits and space, he took her back to her spot at the lab table.

“Now, I know you’re excited, but we mustn't get ahead of ourselves. One thing at a time, otherwise you will become confused. We must go back to atoms.” Dracula insisted. Lisa exhaled, trying to take everything in.

“Alright.”

“An atom is the smallest thing of which, as scientists are aware, is divisible. I have not found anything smaller yet, and neither have my fellow scholars who also study such subjects. But that does not mean it is impossible. Remember, science is only what we know of so far. It is not the final answer. There are no final answers in science, and everything must be confirmed over and over to ensure its validity. Take nothing as a granted. This will be difficult for you, as the human world is full of ideas taken for granted. Especially those of the Church.”

“Yes, I see. It’s only what you have discovered thus far. That doesn’t mean it’s the whole truth.”

“Precisely. The universe and everything in the cosmos is made up of matter and energies. Matter is everything that is not energy. Atoms make up all matter.” He went slowly to try and ensure her comprehension. Lisa scowled, thinking.

“So, matter is everything that can be seen, or touched, or felt?” 

Vlad shook his head in the negative.

“No, not quite. Matter is anything that can be physically touched, in basic terms. Much of matter cannot be seen. We call this dark matter. But I will explain that later. Some matter can be seen, like the atoms of this desk, or your hair, but some cannot be seen easily with the eyes, like the atoms in the air around us, or the atoms that make up dark matter in space. Be careful not to let your eyes deceive you, Lisa. They are not actually that powerful, as you know now by looking through the telescope and the microscope. There are many things that your eyes do not fully understand, so you cannot trust them implicitly. Neither can I, even though my eyes are stronger than yours. To think we know everything is ignorant. There is much we still do not know.”

“Alright. So, how do atoms make up all matter?” 

“Let’s start with a basic description of an atom. I will draw it for you so you can understand.” Dracula took out a large piece of parchment and a pen and drew the basic shape of an atom while Lisa watched attentively. She was all-consumed by this new knowledge, eating it up. This is what she had been dying to learn for years. Everything she had dreamt of: a knowledgeable teacher who would accept her. She was overjoyed.

“In the center, there are these tiny parts called protons and neutrons. Protons have positive energy and neutrons have neutral energy, no charge. Electrons, these parts floating around, have a negative charge. The negative electrons are attracted to this positive base, with the positive protons. This is why they stick together and form an atom… This is how magnets work. Have you heard of a compass before?” He asked, turning to look at Lisa. 

“Yes! Sailors use them to steer their ships, right?” She had heard of them before.

“Indeed. The first known compasses were created long before Christ in China, and then by the Norse Vikings later on. Those are both very rudimentary and crude compasses, but they are still made by using magnetism. A better version of the compass was made by Flavio Gioja in 1302 in Italy. My kind has been using them for a thousand years, at least. Let me get some magnets for you, so you can see this energy in action.” Vlad went to a different part of the lab and returned with two small, polished stones. 

“Two of the same poles, a double positive or a double negative, repel one another.” He demonstrated with the magnetic rocks. “However, a negative and a positive pole attract, drawing together like this.” They snapped together quickly. 

“Try for yourself,” he insisted, handing over the two stones. Lisa toyed with them, seeing how they worked. They talked for another couple of hours as Vlad further explained the concepts of atoms, magnetism, and how the Earth itself was actually a magnet. As he began explaining what energy is, and what kinds of energies exist, he noticed that Lisa was starting to grow tired, her eyes narrowing and her movements getting slower. He stopped himself.

“It’s very late for you. We should stop here. Come on, I’ll show you to your room. I had my servants prepare one for you to stay in.”

Lisa was reluctant to sleep when there was so much to be learned, but she agreed that it was hard for her to stay awake. And she was most excited about the prospect of sleeping in a bedroom of her own, a luxury she had never had before. She had never been comfortable sleeping in her youth, and it was hard to sleep at all when it rained or when the wind blew through the house. It was cold or wet or too hot. But Vlad’s castle was perfect. Perfectly warm, perfectly dry. Nothing got through the masterfully laid stones that made up his castle walls. It was a luxurious utopia. 

No wonder he never wanted to leave, Lisa thought as they wandered through hallways lined with paintings and thick rugs. With all the riches and inventions and comfort inside his palace walls, why would he want to leave? It was going to be challenging to change his mind on that, she was sure. Her mind was still boggling from all the information Vlad had given her in the course of one lecture. She was reeling in the overflow of knowledge, and the sudden realization that human beings were incredibly stupid most of the time. But Dracula, he was a genius, an undeniable genius of Lisa’s dreams. A Master who was not sexist or condescending, but instead wealthy and helpful! No matter that he was a vampire. She didn’t care. All she cared about was learning. Plus, she liked him thus far. Once they got past the entryway, he was a great Master and host. 

“This will be your bedroom, Lisa,” Vlad explained, opening the door and walking forward into the large room. Lisa’s eyes widened in pleasure. An impressive stone fireplace warmed the room, crackling and emitting a heat that was very comfortable. Thick Persian rugs lined the wooden floor, making the huge room even cozier. As she walked further inside there was a tall wooden wardrobe on her right, carved in beautiful and intricate designs. 

Against the back wall was a large four-poster bed in the same style of woodcarvings, covered in a beautiful light blue comforter. The bedposts were carved to resemble roses and thorns creeping up the woodwork. Lisa walked over to the bed and sighed as she ran her hand over the luxuriously soft cerulean velvet blanket at the foot of the bed. Curiously, she tested it, pushing down to see how soft the bed was and what it was made of. Featherdown. She couldn’t believe she would be sleeping in a bed so nice. In the past, Lisa had very rarely slept on beds before, and always in the company of others, so the thought of sleeping in a real bed by herself was wonderful. It wasn’t even made of straw, like most were, but instead feathers, an extremely luxurious piece of furniture. It even had real sheets, fluffy pillows, and a canopy with a curtain in the same thick blue fabric. Lisa had never even seen a bed so nice in all her life.

“I’ll be sleeping here?” She sighed, feeling like she was floating in some imaginative fantasy. Surely soon she would snap out of it, she thought. This was too good to be true. She felt like a princess when Dracula told her yes, she would.

Turning around, she noticed her bag was on top of the dresser by the bed. There were many other pieces of fine furniture throughout: two wooden nightstands, a bench at the foot of the bed, another dresser. On the right side of the bed, there was a grand bay window with a cushioned seat, something she had never seen before. She opened the curtains to look outside and see the view from up high. It was amazing. And thankfully, she noted, not the view of Dracula’s impaled army of the dead. It was a view of the natural scenery and mountains beyond, snowy and beautiful. The moon hung high in the sky, the inky black-blue night dappled with sparkling stars. Gusts of cold wind blew outside, pulling at the trees, making the snowdrift over the mountain peaks. But inside, she was toasty warm and well-fed in perfect comfort. She was truly happy for the first time in many months.

“Is the room to your liking?” Vlad asked, watching her as she took the space in, appreciating everything. Lisa smiled widely at him, nodding and putting a hand to her mouth in shock. He was standing by the fireplace and her new sitting area. A soft loveseat and matching chair sat around the fireplace, with a coffee table, lamp, and an end table topped with books. Lisa could barely believe she would be staying here.

“It’s amazing! I’ve never- I’ve never had a bed to sleep in myself. And of course, I’ve never had a room to myself. This is-” she wanted to go on, but she didn’t want to draw any more attention to her peasant background, so she just smiled and said, “Thank you so much.” 

“You’re welcome, dear. I suppose this is a far cry from what you are used to,” Vlad thought, remembering idly how peasants simply slept in rough blankets on the stone floor. Her new room would be an unparalleled luxury for her.

“Yes. This is fantastic. Everything is so beautiful. I love it,” she tried not to swoon, running her hand over the padded couch. She had never seen one before. It would be a great place to read, she thought. 

“Come, I’ll show you the washroom,” Vlad beckoned with his hand for her to follow, and she did. He turned the golden doorknob, another thing Lisa had never seen and ushered her into a sizable washroom with a heavy sink made of stone, built into wooden cabinetry, a private space for the chamberpot, and a wonderful bathtub like Lisa had never seen. The only ‘baths’ she had in the past were just a quick scrub in a large wooden bucket or a trip to the public bathhouse on occasion. Such a bath, made of cast iron, was completely new to her.

“You turn the knob like so,” he demonstrated, turning the right knob so the water gushed out, “Right for hot water, left for cold. The drain is below.” He moved to the cabinet, opening a door to show Lisa what was inside.

“There are towels, linens, and nightclothes in here. Soaps and such. Let me know if you find yourself in need of anything, and I will make sure my servants get it for you.”

“Thank you,” she smiled, delighted at the washroom and how clean she would be. 

“Is this vampire magic?” She asked, turning the tap on the sink, watching it flow down the drain, “Or is lost technology?”

“Lost technology. The Mesopotamians used indoor plumping four thousand years before Christ. It is nothing new, just forgotten or overlooked by modern society. There was piping all throughout the ancient worlds of Egypt and Rome. But the Romans used lead pipes, which cause harm and eventually poisoning because the lead enters the water supply and damages the health of humans.”

“How fascinating. We need to reintroduce this technology. Without the lead pipes. It’s amazing!” Lisa smiled. 

“Is there anything you need?” He asked, looking around. Lisa thought Dracula looked very out of place in a washroom. He was so tall and elegant, and all his black finery stood out against the white tiles.

“No, no, this is lovely. Thank you.”

“Mhm. I will see you tomorrow evening in the lab. Do you remember how to get to the lab and the dining room?”

“I believe so.”

“I’ll have my servants leave some food and drink for you in the dining room. You are free to explore the lab when you wake, and practice reading my books in Latin. I would ask that you do not wander the castle aimlessly, or venture into unknown wings. I can give you a tour of the palace tomorrow eve, but for now it’s best if you don’t stray from the laboratory,” he explained, walking towards the door.

“I understand. I won’t wander off. Am I allowed to touch the lab equipment? Or the microscope?”

“Well, you don’t understand how to use them yet, so I would say no. Don’t use them. You could harm the machine or yourself. I can teach you to use them tomorrow night if you wish, but for now you should refrain from using them. In fact, I would ask you not to touch any of the scientific instruments without my supervision at this point. Some of them are incredibly valuable and breakable, so you should stick to books. But you are allowed to look at everything in the lab, of course. You may want to familiarize yourself with my library system in the lab tomorrow. The section descriptions above each bookshelf are in Latin, so you should understand.”

“Look, but don’t touch. Got it. I’ll look over your bookshelves.”

“Very well. Goodnight, then,” he looked back to her, almost awkwardly. Lisa could tell he was not used to being polite at all. That was evident before she even walked in his front door. But she was going to work on that. He was already improving, after all. And she believed she could change his ways. 

She believed he could change for good.

“Goodnight, Master.”

* * *

**Notes:**

- **Hospitals** were very different in these times. In Medieval Europe, Hospitals were connected with religion. The poor, sick, and wounded would often stay in Abbeys and Monasteries at these "hospitals". They would often employ a physician (male) who was trained both in both religious studies and some medicine. Read below for more info on doctors in the Middle Ages.

-Doctors:

~ **Medieval Physicians**  
Only the very wealthy would receive the ministrations of a Middle Ages Physician who would have received an education at one of the Universities  
~ **Medieval Surgeons**  
Inferior to Physicians these had a similar reputation to the barbers with whom they associated and belonged to the Company of Barber-Surgeons  
~ **Medieval Barbers**  
The Barbers were inferior to the Surgeons, although they also belonged to the Company of Barber-Surgeons. They were only allowed to pull teeth or let blood  
~ **Medieval Apothocary**  
The usual route that most people took was to visit the apothecary or dispenser of drugs. The Apothecaries belonged to the Grocer's Guild and sold sweets, cosmetics, and perfumes as well as drugs

~ **Medieval 'Wise Woman'** The local 'wise woman' was often the first person contacted by poor people who used various herbs to produce homemade medicines and potions

-Schola Medica in Salerno would teach women, but Lisa would not be able to afford the trip, nor would she be able to speak with them <https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15458581/>

<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schola_Medica_Salernitana>

+"The church played an important role in the lives of Medieval men and women. It was assumed that diseases of the body resulted from sins of the soul. Many people did not bother with Medieval Doctors instead they sought relief from their ailments through meditation, prayer, and pilgrimages." <http://www.medieval-life-and-times.info/medieval-life/medieval-doctors.htm>

- **Vampire folklore** and names are from this article: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vampire_folklore_by_region#:~:text=Japan%20has%20no%20native%20legends,Japan%20during%20the%20late%201950s.>

- **Crimson Stone** According to Castlevania lore, Dracula was turned by the Crimson stone <https://castlevania.fandom.com/wiki/Crimson_Stone>

- **Modern scientists now know that there are things smaller than an atom** : quarks and leptons. However, I’m not including this information because I thought it would be too much. It gets to be difficult to write at a certain point, but rest assured I understand modern science! Also, I am having Vlad as the discoverer of many areas of science because he is supposed to be a genius. I don’t think anyone tried inventing a telescope before the 1500s, but let me know if someone did.

- **The Gutenberg Printing Press** began being used around 1440 in Western Europe, so it would be a very new thing in Europe in 1455, and I doubt many books would have made it to Wallachia, so books would still be crazy expensive. Before the printing press, books cost as much as a warhorse or a year’s salary for a peasant. Monasteries had a couple hundred books. Most individuals would be very wealthy for having just one bookshelf. So, Dracula would be unbelievably wealthy. [ https://www.quora.com/How-much-did-a-book-cost-in-Europe-before-the-coming-of-printing-press-and-how-did-the-prices-change-for-the-following-centuries-in-todays-money ](https://www.quora.com/How-much-did-a-book-cost-in-Europe-before-the-coming-of-printing-press-and-how-did-the-prices-change-for-the-following-centuries-in-todays-money)

[ https://www.reddit.com/r/MedievalHistory/comments/30ki8s/how_common_were_books_in_the_middle_ages/ ](https://www.reddit.com/r/MedievalHistory/comments/30ki8s/how_common_were_books_in_the_middle_ages/)

- **Glass** was hard to come by (and hard to afford) in the middle ages. Wine bottles were quite pricey and rare. Dracula’s many glass items would make him fabulously wealthy. As well as all the mirrors. [ https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/history-wine-bottle ](https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/history-wine-bottle)

- **Typical Medieval homes** didn’t have couches or living rooms at all- that was not typical. Usually, tables would be angled around the fireplace, and people would sit on wooden benches. Not comfortable! [ https://www.builddirect.com/blog/the-history-of-the-couch-a-long-form-read/ ](https://www.builddirect.com/blog/the-history-of-the-couch-a-long-form-read/)

Of course, Vlad has a much more modern and luxurious home, even more modern than today’s homes given that he can teleport the whole bloody thing. 

(*laughing* bloody… haha - I’ve been inside for too long.)

- **Sleeping in the middle ages** : “We take sleeping in a bedroom for granted now, but in the middle ages, a separate room for sleeping was a luxury that only the most wealthy could afford. Cottagers slept on stone slabs covered with a thin mattress of hay or peat moss. Their one-room cottages were kept warm by an open fire in the middle of the room. In the winter, when all the windows were shuttered, the air was thick was smoke. Dew collected on the thatched roof would drip from the rafters in the morning and when it rained no one could sleep. Small birds, mice, and insects living in the roof would scatter debris down on those sleeping below. And if that wasn't enough, the wind would whistle and moan through the chinks in the walls all night long.

A wealthy landowner or town merchant could afford better accommodations for sleeping. A bed with a mattress, sheets, blankets, canopy, curtains, etc. was the most expensive piece of furniture in most homes and they were often mentioned in wills. Some were so sumptuous and impressive that they occupied a prominent position in the area we would call a living room. This room was the family gathering place, where the master and mistress slept, ate, and worked during the winter. The beds were often very large and the whole family could sleep together. Guests were sometimes offered a spot in the communal bed by the fire. It was not uncommon to visit with your friends while sitting, fully clothed in bed.” -[ https://stores.renstore.com/history-and-traditions/sleep-in-the-middle-ages ](https://stores.renstore.com/history-and-traditions/sleep-in-the-middle-ages)

- **Beds in the middle ages!** Most families that could afford a bed all slept in it together, usually sitting upright on the four posts and putting their feet in the middle. But the poor often could not afford a bed, and even if they could afford a house, they would sleep together on blankets on the floor. Sometimes servants would sleep at the master’s feet, or in a trundle bed as we call them today, ready to answer the beck and call of their master during the night. Or, you know, to get stepped on on the way to the chamberpot. Sharing beds with people was common and normal, and sharing a bed did not imply romantic or sexual intent like it did today. Also, Kings often would have a separate bed than their wife, and go to visit her in her bed when they wanted to have sex (remember the Tudors, anyone?). Poor Catherine. [ https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/communal-sleeping-history-sharing-bed ](https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/communal-sleeping-history-sharing-bed)

- **Corruption in the Church** during the middle ages (hint: paying to get into heaven, paying for the lavish clergy apartments, and killing anyone who went against their teachings) [ https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/what-ways-did-corruption-occur-catholic-church-99787 ](https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/what-ways-did-corruption-occur-catholic-church-99787)

- **Bathtubs** , as we think of them today, didn’t exist (porcelain). There were some bathhouses around, but often people would rinse themselves off in a wooden bucket. Every day people were supposed to wash their hands and face, but many did not bathe often because it was expensive. Dental hygiene was poor, but they didn’t have sugar so their teeth wouldn’t have rot as easily as ours do. Sugar was actually considered a spice, and it was used on meats for rich people in Medieval Europe. Some other places in the world used it in desserts. 

- **Indoor Plumbing** was mostly dilapidated and out of use by this time. The Romans and Mesopotamians had indoor plumbing, as well as other groups, but not so much in the middle ages. Most Castles would have tubes that would use gravity to flush out the waste through pipes and dump it outside, but no running water of course. In cities, waste would usually go down pipes outside, but if it rained the sewage tubes would be full and overflow, and people would dump their waste out the window - Gross! This went on until... 1800s? Ew. 

- **Apprenticeship** in the middle ages <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apprenticeship#:~:text=The%20system%20of%20apprenticeship%20first,formal%20training%20in%20the%20craft.>

- **Copernican heliocentrism** (the Earth goes around the sun) came in the mid-1500s, so Lisa wouldn’t have learned it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please review! 
> 
> It takes a crazy amount of time to research and write all this, so please just leave a comment to say what you think!


	3. învăţare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> învăţare: learning, studying

_This chapter is dedicated to my friend cricketsong1985 (author of "A Night at the Inn")._

* * *

Sidenote: If you want a study environment like Dracula’s Laboratory, might I suggest a video - [ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHFif_y2TyM ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHFif_y2TyM)

* * *

Lisa slept very deeply that night. The journey had tired her greatly, so after her wonderfully hot bath she sank into the featherdown bed and went out like a light. In the morning, it took quite a while for her to get up. The bed was truly the most comfortable she had ever slept on. It was like sleeping on a cloud. She rolled around in the soft cotton sheets, delighting at the feeling on her body. Everything was smooth and perfect, and she was entirely content laying there. The fireplace had kept her warm and toasty through the night. As she rose from the bed she opened the bed curtains and smiled at the sight of the beautiful room she was staying in. It was truly lovely. Dark, rich wood, heavy upholstery, blue curtains, soft benches, and grand wardrobes. Everything was fit for a princess. Lisa opened the shutters of the window and the curtains, and basked in the light for a moment as she took in the view from up high. She brushed her hair, washed her face, and changed into her clothes. After noticing how low the fire was getting, she added more logs. Soon she was ready to go downstairs for lunch. Her late bedtime had led to a very late morning.

When she opened her bedroom door, she was surprised to see a pretty box had been laid on the floor. She picked it up curiously and read the note: “ _Tibi, Lisa._ ” She startled. It was Latin, obviously written by Vlad to indicate it was a gift. Lisa took it inside her room, opening the box to discover a beautiful dress inside made of burgundy velvet. _How lovely._ It was an elegant, thick winter dress with long sleeves, a full skirt, and a plunging neckline. Lisa laid it out on the bed. It certainly looked like it would fit her, but Lisa startled at the deep-v of the dress. There was nothing provided to wear underneath. No kirtle or partlet to be put on first, which would ensure her chest would be covered properly. She went to the linen cupboard but found no such garments. Lisa supposed she could just wear her chemise underneath, but it might be too revealing. 

Regardless, she tried the beautiful dress on. It fit quite well, hugging her body at the waist snugly. _Oh my._ Lisa marveled upon seeing herself in a mirror in a lady’s dress. It was a new sight; she had never worn such finery before. Such a garment would be far too expensive for her to ever afford. She tried not to be vain, but she had never seen herself in a proper mirror before, and it was such a pretty dress. It was undeniable that she looked beautiful in it. Turning, Lisa saw how it highlighted the curve of her waist and her hips. Idly, she wondered if she looked too good in it, given she was going to be in the company of her male superior that night. But Vlad had given it to her. Lisa wasn’t an expert in Latin, but she could understand that much. ‘ _For you, Lisa_ ’ he had written. Dracula wanted her to wear it, it seemed. 

_Has he not included an underlayer on purpose?_ She sighed, trying to adjust her shift to cover her breasts. It was acceptable, she supposed, but if she sat or moved in certain positions, there would certainly be a lot revealed to his eyes. _Perhaps that is what he wants_ , she thought. He was a stranger, really. Maybe he had intended for her to be on display. She hoped she wouldn’t run into his wife or embarrass herself in some other way. _I doubt he even has a wife._ But that only made it all the more dangerous to wear the revealing dress. Regardless, she wore it down to the lab. 

Lisa did not want to offend her new Master by not wearing the lovely, and no doubt expensive, gift he had bestowed upon her. Besides, she had just recently complained about his rudeness when dealing with humans, and there he was a day later, offering her a thoughtful gift. She told herself she should be thrilled that he was doing something nice. _So what if he wants to see me in something beautiful and revealing?_ She had never been able to show off her assets in the Abbey, that was for sure. They always made her have a collar up to her throat. And have her hair covered. 

A part of her was excited to have him see her as beautiful, although she didn’t quite understand why. She made her way to the dining room, trying not to startle as electric lights flickered on as she walked through the halls like magic. On the dining table, the servants had laid out an appetizing lunch of sourdough bread, soft cheese, salami, olives, and chopped vegetable salad. As she ate lunch alone in the dining room, she went over the idea in her mind. Why he had left such a dress and why she had put it on without a partlet. Perhaps it was simply because Dracula was a handsome man, and she had never met a man that she had actually wanted to look at her that way. _If only he wasn’t crazy_ , Lisa pondered, laughing at her own ridiculousness. _And a vampire._

“Oh, God. I was in the Abbey for too long,” she groaned at herself, finishing with lunch and wiping her lips with a linen napkin. She supposed the servants would take care of everything so she left it there. Somehow the castle was still eerie in the daytime. Perhaps because it was dead silent, not even a flurry of movement anywhere. The curtains were drawn and the candelabras were extinguished. Only the electric lights led her way while she was walking down the long, windowless hallway. She went over the idea again in her head, hoping she wasn’t making a mistake. Besides, she was there to learn. Perhaps it was simply a mistake. Perhaps she didn’t understand his intention.

As she entered the laboratory, she sighed once again at its grandeur. In the daytime, the room felt so much lighter. So much more natural and… human. She supposed it was because the electricity was turned off and only the light of the sun poured through the curtains. Lisa felt she could read and learn forever there. And she did as Dracula told her, not touching the vials or alembics. Instead, she took the stairs up to the wrap-around library and familiarized herself with the bookcases. 

_Mathematica,_ mathematics. _Astronomia_ , astronomy. _Algebraica,_ algebra. _Geometria,_ geometry. _Alchimia,_ alchemy. _Historia Graecia,_ history of Greece _. Historia Romae,_ history of Rome. _Historia Arabiae_ , history of Arabia. _Religionis studia_ , religious studies. _Praecantatio,_ sorcery. _Medicamentum_ , medicine. _Ah, yes! Finally._ It was the last bookshelf on the left side of the upper balcony. She smiled, reading over the titles.

_Corpus Hippocraticum,_ the teachings of Hippocrates. 

_Chirurgia Magna,_ the teachings of Guy de Chauliac.

 _De materia medica_ , the teachings of Pedanius Dioscorides.

 _De motu musculorum,_ the teachings of Galen of Pergamon. 

And _Physica_ and _Causae et Curae_ , the teachings of Hildegard of Bingen.

“Wonderful,” Lisa sighed, pulling the tome from the shelf. She brushed off its dusty top. She had some of _Physica_ before. It was the only medical book she knew of that was written by a woman. Hildegard of Bingen was from the time that Dracula was a human. She had lived hundreds of years ago, but her works were quite influential in eastern medicine at the time. Lisa had brought up Hildegard to the employed physician at the Abbey, explaining that she was a nun who worked in a monastery and studied science to help heal the sick. And that she had been revered for it. Hildegard had taught so much about medicine and pharmacology, but he didn’t want to hear it. Instead, he condemned Lisa for comparing herself to a patron-saint and for skipping mass. 

But Lisa knew there was hope because a woman had become a famous and respected physician in the past. So she could do it too. And be even better, because she had a true genius as her master. And so many books at her fingertips, too. Thousands. Far more than any monastery could offer her. Lisa brushed up on _Physica,_ reminding herself of the teachings. She hadn’t finished it at the Abbey because she had been so distracted while working with the nuns, cleaning, and going to mass. Thankfully, there would be none of that in Vlad’s castle. The lab was completely empty except for her, and perfectly quiet. She supposed all the vampires were asleep in their beds. 

_Or, coffins?_ Lisa wasn’t sure if that was just a myth. She’d have to ask Dracula about that. It seemed comical, really. Vlad sleeping in a coffin. She giggled to herself at the thought, descending the stairs with books in her arms. _They don’t really do that, do they?_

After brushing up on _Physica_ she read some of _Corpus Hippocraticum_ and _De Motu Musculorum_. It was wonderful. She wished she knew how to write so she could take notes, but she wasn’t skilled yet with a calligraphy brush. And after six hours, she took a break. She would need to let her mind rest so she could absorb all of Dracula’s teaching when the sun set. Which was not far off. When she went to the nearest washroom she caught a view of herself again in the mirror, this time above the sink. She fixed her braid and adjusted the wine-colored dress.

A sigh escaped her mouth. _Perhaps I should change_ . It was lovely, but she knew it would take attention away from her face. Her words. She was worried and perhaps excited about what her new Master might think of her in such a dress. It was very lovely, and she looked like a Lady. But it gave away too much without a kirtle, she thought. _What will he think if I wear it? What will he think if I don’t?_ The thoughts ran through her head as she wondered what he may say to her. And how she would respond if he was to compliment her. If he was to flirt with her. Suddenly, Lisa groaned and shook herself out of the thought. 

_I’m not going to allow myself to get caught up in romance or sexual politics._ All Dracula had done was to give her a dress, there was nothing else to be considered. She was there to learn, not to fret over what he thought about her as a woman and how he found her body. So she stifled the thoughts. _Yes, Vlad is handsome, and tall, and very eloquent, but that’s not important._ She was the student, and he, her master. There was nothing else to be considered. It wasn’t as if he had made some comment or insinuated anything. 

She wandered through the lab and admired the many inventions and machines, indulging herself by walking around aimlessly. She wanted to learn everything. Dracula had so much knowledge it was hard to comprehend. Finally, just after sundown, her master returned. It was quite like the last time. She was closely studying a large lighting cage, held in complete concentration, and he appeared close behind her, as if out of thin air. Breath tickling her neck, giving her goosebumps, same as before.

“ _Good evening._ ” 

Lisa jumped at the sudden intrusion behind her.

“ _Agh!_ Oh, God.” She whipped around and calmed when she knew it was him. Lisa gave him a look of scolding. “Didn’t we go over this?” She wheezed breathlessly, annoyed at him. Vlad regarded her with an impish smirk.

“You mustn't sneak up on people. That’s very rude,” she chided, like a nun to a naughty bell-boy. Vlad laughed in earnest, smiling. She dared chide him. What gall. A little human, telling him what to do. But he would be lying to himself if he didn’t admit that when he woke up that evening he was filled with excitement at the thought of seeing her again, talking with her again. And he hadn’t felt that emotion in decades.

“Mustn't I?” Dracula chuckled lowly. “I didn’t mean to sneak up on you,” he soothed suavely, walking around the table.

“Yes, yes you did,” she corrected him playfully. Dracula was clad in his cape and formal wear, same as before. He looked to the large lightbulb on display.

“Admiring the cytolux?” He asked. 

“The what?” She turned to the strange invention made of glass and tubing. “Oh, that’s what it’s called?” Vlad clasped his hands behind his back. 

“That’s what I call them. Cyto, from the Greek word kytos, meaning a hollow cell or container, and lux, the Latin word for light.”

“It’s very interesting.” 

Dracula flipped a switch and all the lightbulbs in the room turned on, illuminating the large space. Lisa had been working in daylight. She stared at the object in front of her, trying to understand how metal ropes produced light. It was too difficult for her to understand. He then flipped another switch and more machines whirred to life. Electric life. To her left, at the next table area over, she saw a strange glass orb that she had never seen before. Inside, there was a glowing orb in the center that appeared to be emitting lighting in random directions, trapped inside the glass. The lighting was caught by the glass in the most fascinating manner, almost like it was dancing. She gasped loudly, practically running over to the strange and intriguing object. It glowed and sparked with electric life in colors of blue, purple, and pink.

“What is this? It’s amazing!” She exclaimed, coming closer to it. Vlad approached her, smirking again. Her energy and zeal were most entertaining to him. She was not afraid of science like other humans, but enamored by it. He found that a very attractive trait.

“It’s a plasma orb. It will not make sense to you yet, because we haven’t covered the basics yet.”

“Please try to explain, Master Dracula,” Lisa pleaded, desperate to learn what it was.

“Hm. Alright, but you will not grasp all the concepts yet.” Lisa nodded.

“Plasma is the fourth state of matter. Solids, liquids, and gasses are the first three. Plasma is not bound in any shape or form, similar to gasses in that way. But plasma is unique in that most or all of its electrons have been stripped away and the positively charged nuclei, called ions, roam freely. Essentially, plasma is gas charged with positive energy. It is what makes up the compositions of stars and our own sun.” He raised his hand to point to the hanging solar system mobile. “It’s the most common state of matter in the universe, actually.”

“How fascinating,” she awed, “So, it’s… positive energy?”

“Gas charged with positive energy. Plasma has a very high state of energy. So, inside this glass sphere, I added different types of gasses. When I run energy through the sphere, they light up as a reaction to produce this-” he gestured to the orb, “reaction.”

Lisa got even closer to watch the energy up close. It was vibrant and full of movement, the lines like lightning bolts running from the inner ball to the outer sphere. 

“Now, take your hand, and place it on the plasma orb. Yes, right on top, it’s fine,” he instructed, and she did as she was told, placing her hand on the glass. All the other electric currents transformed into one streak of white, like lightning, and concentrated on the spot where her hand was. 

“The energy inside wants to escape the orb, and by placing your hand on top, your body is acting as the conduit for it. The electrons are now flowing through your body. Do you see? The human body can conduct electricity.” She felt a zing of said electricity go through her, making her feel alive, excited.

“Amazing,” she sighed, observing the phenomenon in interest, “...it’s getting hot now.”

“Remove your hand. Are you alright?” He looked at her palm.

“Yes. It’s just a little warm,” she laughed.

“Now, I want you to know, you should not go around touching everything in here. There are some objects in here that can be a danger to you if you touch them or break them.”

“Which ones?” She asked.

“Anything with electricity should be dealt with carefully. If you were to touch the plasma orb with one hand and grab a metal rod with the other, it would give you a nasty shock. Electricity can be dangerous to your body.” Lisa thought about the concept, nodding.

“I would guess so, given that people die from lightning strikes.”

“Indeed. I don’t want you to touch any bare wires or electric objects without care. In fact, please don’t touch anything you aren’t familiar with. I wouldn’t like to come down here one night and find that you accidentally shocked or poisoned yourself.”

“Well, I should hope not!” She huffed. “I’ll be careful.”

“When we work with medicines and herbs, be cautious of those too. Do not eat or drink anything there unless I tell you it’s alright to do so. You may incorrectly identify an herb and make yourself ill.” Lisa wished he didn’t have to explain such basic things to her as if she was an idiot, but she supposed he thought humans were all baseless morons in comparison to him. Most people never even learned to read in Wallachia, let alone speak about elevated concepts like physics and pharmacology. 

“I understand,” she nodded, hands behind her back.

“Very well. I told my servants to prepare dinner. Shall we go to the dining room?” He asked with a raised hand. Very gallantly, Lisa noticed.

“Yes, please,” she smiled, “I’m hungry.”

“Oh. Should I have the servants leave you more food tomorrow? I admit I don’t really remember how much humans eat in a day.” 

“No, no,” she placed, “There was plenty. I just made sure to save room for dinner. Besides, I was too distracted by your fabulous collection of books to think about food.” They walked out of the laboratory and down the dimly lit hallway.

“Ah. I see. What held your attention so well?” He wondered, walking quickly, almost floating. Same as the night before, Lisa almost had to run to keep up with his long legs and fast walking gait.

“Your books on medicine, of course! They are fascinating. Guy de Chauliac, Galen of Pergamon, Hippocrates. I spent the afternoon buried in _Physica_ and _Corpus Hippocraticum._ ” She was animated and clearly excited to be discussing such topics. They ascended a stone staircase and traveled down another hallway to the dining room. 

“Well, I’m glad you found those to your liking. However, all those writers included heinous errata in their works. Please remember not to believe all that you read. Later you will have to critique them and offer logical criticism of their works. They disagree with one another, and they are all wrong in many aspects.” They entered the grand dining room, the table already set and ready.

“Who says that they’re all wrong?” She wondered, not accusing, but curious. Dracula waved his hand and his magic moved the chair back for her to sit down. She startled but sat nonetheless, letting Dracula push her chair in. He sat next to her, tucking his cape underneath him and relaxing comfortably in the high backed chair.

“I do.” He asserted, confident as hell. Lisa’s eyes started to twinkle with impishness once more. _Logical criticisms? Perhaps I’ll start right now._

“And how do you claim to know everything, My Lord? Just curious, is all. Are you a doctor? From what I’ve seen so far, you seem more interested in putting people on pikes than saving their lives.” Lisa was giving him her usual mix of wit and sarcasm. 

“No, I’m not a doctor, per se. Not in practice. It doesn’t interest me that much. But I’m capable of it. Absolutely. And in my four hundred years on this Earth I have had some practical experience. Suturing wounds, tying tourniquets, saving the lives of my comrades in battles. I have performed surgeries. I have done a considerable number of things. But my expertise doesn’t come from my practical experience, it comes from my wisdom. I’ve been a scholar for hundreds of years, and I’ve dedicated most of my time to mastering science and magic. If you ask me how I know something pertaining to human biology or medicine, something specific, I won’t give you an arbitrary answer. I’ll explain the reasoning in full. You’ll see, Lisa. I won’t disappoint you.”

“I should hope not!” She insisted comically and Vlad raised a brow at her. “I was - just making a joke. Sorry.” She found a win bottle and poured herself a glass. 

“Do you doubt my abilities?”

“No, not at all," she huffed, "I just - I wanted to lighten the tension a bit, that’s all. You’re rather serious, my Lord… I wanted to offer a bit of humor.”

“Ah. We don’t get a lot of that around here.”

“Bad humor? Or do you mean to say that you don’t have humor at all here?” _That’s just as sad as the Abbey. Doesn’t anyone have fun except for drunken countrymen?_

“Well, I am usually alone here. Most of the time, anyway.” He crossed his legs and placed his hands elegantly on the arms of the chair.

“You never make yourself laugh?” She asked, and Vlad scowled at her.

“What?”

“You never think of something funny and make yourself laugh? I do that,” she added easily.

“Mm. Yes, I suppose... rarely. But, in general, this castle is not a place of comedy.” He was a serious man. But Lisa didn't care, she toyed with him anyway.

“You have no court jester?” Lisa teased. She assumed he wouldn't. 

“Of course not. I detest them.”

“What about a bard? Don’t you employ some minstrels or other to play music? Lăutar?” She always thought a king would have one musician, at least.

“No minstrels here. No Lăutar, either.”

“Why?” She wondered aloud, wishing she could hear some love ballads or classic Wallachian songs. She loved music and poetry. It wasn't something she wanted to experience for long periods of time, but once in a while at least. Especially on holidays. Dracula's castle seemed so very dark and melancholy. Her master's face was impassive and still, regarding her with his pensive red eyes.

“I prefer silence.”

Servants came by again to serve dinner, but they left as fast as they came and she didn’t get a good look. The dinner smelled absolutely wonderful. Roasted quail and artichoke hearts with a buttery potato and leek soup. Lisa started with some of the soup, using the little silver spoon. She hummed in approval.

“Why not hire a bard, though? You might enjoy their music. You could make them play whatever you like if you employ them.” She teased again, coaxing him out of his shell as she always would. Until he learned to be comfortable with her. 

“I’m not a human king, Lisa. I don’t employ common bards. I partake of different activities.”

“Oh, I see. And which activities do you partake of? For personal enjoyment?” She raised her eyebrows at him, insulating something she certainly hadn't meant to. Vlad’s nose twitched, and he forced himself to not answer that question in the wrong way. 

“Virtually everything I do is for personal enjoyment unless I’m focusing on a political issue. I study, I read, I write. I invent things. I hunt.” He made it no secret that he was a vampire. And he enjoyed hunting for sport as much as the next vampire. 

“I can tell that. It’s all impressive, yes," she nodded, cutting her chicken, "But, do you do anything else?”

“That’s not enough for you?” He chuckled at her gall, “You’re quite a particular peasant, Lisa. What activities do you think I should partake of, then?”

“I wasn’t trying to insult you, sir. I just meant…” she tried to find the words, “Those are all solitary activities, My Lord. What do you do for fun? You know, to socialize? With others. Do you sing or dance or- recite poetry?” Vlad scoffed a little at the notion. 

“Recite poetry? To a bunch of vampires? You have an interesting imagination, dear.” Lisa finished chewing and licked her lips.

“What? Vampires don’t like poetry?” Vlad made a noise of indecision.

“On occasion-" he changed his mind, clasping his hands together, "Well, some do, I’m sure. But we’re not that kind of people. Generally speaking. We don’t really sit around a fire singing songs together and reading love poems. That’s too… human.” Lisa noticed he said the word like an insult. She supposed he would think of them in that way. It made her sigh. She drank some soup and thought about vampires and their lives. She wondered what they did all day. How they passed the centuries. 

“Well, what do you do with each other, then? For fun?” She asked, and Vlad looked away, lips twitching a little in amusement, not sure how to answer or avoid the question. It was obvious he was reluctant to reply to that. Lisa laughed a little at the reaction.

“Oh, okay. I get it. I get it…” she took a drink of wine, “you have sex.” Vlad burst out laughing because Lisa had said it so bluntly without a reservation in the world. She did make him laugh, that was true enough. And he was not the type to enjoy things. But she was very enjoyable, at least to him. Lisa joined in. _Why not just say it?_

“What?” She drawled out comically, “Just because I came from an Abbey doesn’t mean I’m an idiot.”

“No, certainly not,” he tried to stop laughing, “You are funny, Lisa.”

“Thank you.” 

“So that’s all, then? For hundreds of years, thousands, even, that’s all your people do for fun? Drink blood and have sex?” Vlad tried not to start laughing again at her incredible bluntness. He chuckled into a sigh. She wasn’t a lady of the court, but then again, he didn’t like ladies of the court with their stuffy manners and antiquated ideals. Lisa was more down to Earth, more natural. He liked that she had confidence and didn’t try to manipulate. She only liked to prod and gently tease.

“Ah, no, of course not. We read books, experiment with magic, play politics, write philosophy, discuss ideas… and other things, too. It depends.”

“And what do _you_ like to do with other vampires?” She took a bite of artichoke.

“Why do you ask?” She asked a lot of questions.

“I want to get to know you, of course.” She smiled at him, blue eyes gleaming optimistically. 

“Discussing philosophy, strategy. Hunting, on occasion. And, I suppose I do enjoy playing some board games. Strategy games.”

“Oh, like what?” 

“You’re filled with questions," he smirked at her, rubbing his hand on his knee and watching her eat, "The philosopher’s game is a favorite of mine. It’s also called Rithmomachy. It is a strategy game that uses mathematics. The literal translation is the ‘The Battle of the Numbers’. I also enjoy wéiqí, a Chinese game of strategy.” Lisa snapped up to look at him.

“Was that... Chinese?” She almost gasped. Such a foreign language. She had barely ever even heard of China. It was such a distant and foreign land.

“Yes, I did. I know a little.”

“Wow,” she sighed, impressed, “The stories about you are true.”

“Humans tell stories about me speaking Chinese?” He smirked.

“No, no. Just that you’re supremely intelligent. That’s such a foreign language. So far away from Wallachia, I mean. I've never heard anyone that knows about China or could speak the language... my goodness. You're very smart. So, could I play with you?”

“What?”

“The games. Could I play those games with you sometime? I’ve never played any board games. They sound so interesting.”

“Oh," he exhaled, "I suppose we could… later. Once you’ve learned more. They’re quite complex.”

“Alright. I’d like that.” She offered him a smile. “So, do vampires often play them after dinner, or-?”

“It doesn’t really matter. At home with their family or… Most vampires have,” he faltered, “others they live with. Wives and husbands and friends, that sort of thing. Most of us aren’t alone.”

“But,” she trod lightly, “You don’t have a wife? You never married?” Vlad sighed shallowly as she drank some wine.

“No, I was married, many years ago.” It was many lifetimes ago. 

“Was she a human or a vampire?” Lisa wondered.

“Human. But that was a very long time ago. Centuries ago.”

“And you never remarried?” She prodded, finishing her soup.

“No, I haven’t... Why do you ask?” He met her gaze and she turned a little pink.

“No reason,” Her voice went up a bit, and Vlad noticed her unease. He let it go. “So, just friends, then? Who are they?”

“My friends?” The words felt strange in his mouth. Lisa nodded, chewing. Vlad looked at the fire, drifting away. His eyes burned red.

“I don’t have friends, Lisa.” It was a dark statement, and Lisa could sense the serious undertone in his voice. It was a loaded phrase, she could tell. But that didn’t stop her optimism. 

“Well, that’s no good,” she shook her head, lightly chastising him, making Vlad snap to look at her, “No, that’s no good at all... I’ll be your friend.” She offered it easily with a bright smile, seeking to make his life a little lighter, a little sweeter. Vlad thought back on what she had said the previous night.

“Do you offer your friendship so easily?” He probed her. Lisa drank some wine, giving him a side glance.

“No, no, I don’t give anything easily, really. But you deserve it. My friendship, I mean. I believe that you do. So, I’ll give it to you.”

“I deserve it? An evil vampire such as myself? What kind of nun are you? Surely they taught you nothing?” He laughed. The church must be losing their touch, he thought.

“I’m not a nun! I completely disagree with that philosophy. Their specific philosophy. I think that if someone is being incredibly rude or violent, they must be that way for a reason. And not demon possession or something ridiculous. A real reason. Maybe someone hurt them. Maybe lots of people hurt them. And maybe no one ever showed them love or kindness. Perhaps they never learned why they should like people in the first place…”

“Mm.” Vlad knew she was speaking about him, of course. “That’s an odd pretext for friendship.”

“I disagree, My Lord. I believe it’s the best pretext for friendship.” He shook his head at her. Was it blind naïveté that led her to be this way? The arrogance of youth?

“You truly do not care what I am? Who I am? You want to be friends with the Lord of Darkness?” He found it hard to believe that a woman who was partially raised by nuns could be friends with him. An avatar of death. A demon of destruction and vengeance. A cruel, unforgiven recluse of a man with no friends in the world.

“I think that title itself delineates exactly how in need of a friend you are, My Lord. As do the stakes out front. The army of the dead. That’s a pretty clear sign you’re shutting people out,” she laughed at it, as death did not startle her, “But as I said before, I can teach you to like people again. At least a couple. Two or three. Starting with me, My Lord. I’ll be nice to you... I’ll be a good friend.” Vlad considered her for a long while. He wondered if she was just insanely foolish. But then again, she had nowhere else to go. Perhaps she was being pragmatic, offering kindness to the one person who had let her in the door. Vlad wasn’t sure yet, so he just hummed as he thought.

“Hmm. Perhaps you shall.” Lisa took that as a ‘yes’ and went with it.

“I do believe so. Speaking of, for my first recommendation, as your friend, I will say that I think you should perhaps take up another hobby. You have the time for it. A pleasantry or something like that. Something you could do with other people, perhaps. Or at least with me. Maybe learn the lute, or,” she thought about it, cutting a bite of quail, “dramatic poetry readings, _ooh_ , I bet you would be good at that.”

“Oh, really?” Dracula mused, resting his head on his hand, watching her eat and come up with suggestions for him to become more sociable. Without meaning to, he found it endearing.

“Yes, yes. You’re dramatic already, so no worries there. You’ve got that covered. And, you know, you do have a lovely voice." She was a little embarrassed to give that compliment, but she did it anyway.

“I do?” He stirred a little.

“Yes, yours is a very enjoyable and soothing voice. It’s really very pleasing to listen to.”

“Ah,” he hummed, “Well, thank you, dear. I’ll get right on that… dramatic poetry reading.” He looked up, finding the human odd if not also very amusing. Who was this woman? Telling Dracula himself to read poetry?

“Are you joking with me, Master Dracula?” She teased.

“I haven’t decided yet.” That made her laugh. “I do have some other pastimes, although I haven’t engaged in them in quite a while. I enjoy some activities out of doors. I engage in them with my generals at times. When they come to the castle."

“Interesting. Games of sport? Like archery, that kind of thing?”

“On occasion. What are your pastimes, Lisa?”

“I like to sing. And dance. And draw. But I can’t say I’m exceptionally skilled in any of those areas,” she stopped cutting her last piece of quail, raising the knife and looking up at him, “ _yet!_ I’m not skilled _yet_. Hopefully I will master them. But with no bard to sing for me, and no banquets to dance at, however shall I learn?” She mused, lightly chiding him.

“I have had banquets. A considerable number, in fact.” He spoke slowly, as a learned master often did. Slowly and self-assured.

“Oh, you do?” 

“I throw banquets, yes. At least once a year. When my generals and their spouses come here for our annual gathering.”

“Interesting. I’m glad to hear that. So, may I ask, do you dance, Master Dracula?”

“Rarely.”

“Why rarely?” She pushed. Vlad looked at her and looked back to the fire.

“Best leave some things to the imagination.”

“Do you not believe in fun? I admit, My Lord, I find it a bit odd, coming from an Abbey where all fun was strictly forbidden. I thought the Lord of Darkness, the enemy of the church, would partake of such activities. Fun activities. Drinking and dancing and that sort of thing. But you seem to drink no wine and never dance. What a shame. Are you not interested in fun?"

“I think I may simply be too old for… fun.” Dracula muttered, "I'm not twenty two, Lisa." Her brow wrinkled.

“I don’t know if anyone could get too old to not enjoy having fun.”

“I don’t know if anyone so young should be commenting on that subject.” He raised a judgemental brow at her. He was hundreds of years her elder, but that didn't stop her from making presumptions. 

“Why keep living? If life isn’t fun? Every once in a while, at least? I mean, what did you intend to do with this immortality? Learn forever? Or, is learning your favorite activity?”

“It certainly is. I find a discovery through the lens of the microscope more exciting than a banquet or the ballad of a bard. I enjoy the triumph of an experiment more than a dance.”

“I see... well, I can certainly understand that.” She finished her glass of wine and Dracula used magic to pour her another. She watched with rapt attention as he lifted the bottle using telekineses and poured her a bit more. Lisa looked back at him, mouth agape.

“That’s amazing... Thank you,” she laughed, taking a sip of the delicious red wine. It was such good quality. A far cry from the country swill she used to drink. It didn't burn her throat with bitterness. It was smooth and rich. 

“Science is my passion. Science and magic: two sides of the same coin, really.”

“I’d like to know more about that. Where the line is drawn, so to speak. What separates one side of the coin from the other.”

“It is very complex and the line is- ambiguous, but a simplistic way to think of it is like this: anything that can be objectively measured using the tools of mathematics and pure logic, that is science, and anything that falls beyond the realm of objective measurement, that is magic. However,” he sat up, taking interest, “it is possible to bring the magical concepts into the scientific realm if you find a way to objectively measure it.”

“Like what? What magical concept?"

“Teleportation.”

“What?”

“Making matter transfer from one place to another place, instantaneously, without physically traversing the space between. Observe,” he instructed her, and raised up a spoon by telekinesis and held it suspended, in air, before teleporting it to the other side of the room.

“Oh my! What a power this is! I- I’m baffled by this,” he dropped the spoon back in her hands, “You’re so talented.”

“That’s nothing. I can teleport this entire castle. It is my domain, yes, but it is also fully mobile and I can move it. The technology was considered magical, but, I can use science and math to explain it. Although it’s… extremely complicated, to say the least. I achieved this by using advanced physics theory and perhaps one of my most legendary scientific accomplishments. It did not come overnight.”

“You can truly move this entire castle?” Vlad nodded. “How?”

“Using my mind. I control a device, a dodecahedron transporter of my own design, in a room of engines and… I’ll show you sometime soon. Now, finish your dinner. We have a lot to get through tonight.”

“Yes, of course.” Lisa finished her artichoke and then the wine he had poured for her. However, as silence fell between them, she noticed his gaze on her. Drifting. 

“What have you planned for tonight, Master?” She asked calmly. When Lisa looked at him it was clear he had been staring at her. A little below the neck. She swallowed. The dress was distracting. Or, rather, the creamy skin of her exposed neck and cleavage was. Vlad said nothing for a moment, meeting her eyes quickly.

“We’ll still be reviewing the basics of science. But I also want to start with your writing. We will see how much we get to. You need to learn to read and write in Greek and Cyrillic, as well. But you must master Latin first. That is of primary importance. I prefer using Latin, and many of my books are in that language. It will be necessary for you write in Latin so you can take notes.” Lisa nodded, but she noticed after he spoke that his eyes began to drift again, taking her in for much longer than necessary. In a way, she liked it, and a small thrill ran through her knowing that he was enjoying looking at her, but in another way, she began to worry. She wiped her mouth with a napkin, and although she couldn’t see him staring, she could feel his eyes on her. So she prepared herself, taking a deep breath in.

“Master Dracula, I know we never formally discussed this, but I feel that we should go over something. You, of course, know that I have no way to pay you for this apprenticeship with gold or anything like that. And I’m parentless, as you know. But I do think that, if- if there is some other-” she found it uncomfortable to say aloud, but she needed to know, “expectation here, about you teaching me, I want to know about it.” Her words were veiled and Vlad did not follow what she was getting at. He scowled.

“What?” He tried to answer, but found it difficult given how secretive she was being, “I don’t want any gold from you, Lisa. And in terms of expectations, I do believe I made it clear that I want you to be attentive, hardworking, and honest.”

“That’s not what I mean. I mean if there is some- expectation about me learning from you, in a... transactional sense, I wish you would tell me now, so at least I can be prepared for it. I know I have very little to offer you, but- If there’s some expectation about an alternate type of payment for this apprenticeship, please tell me. We can discuss it, and I’m not opposed to the idea- necessarily, but I - I need to know that much. What you expect of me. Getting this knowledge means everything to me, but I should at least understand the circumstances.”

Vlad quirked a brow, confused. He stared at her for a few moments.

“Speak plainly, Lisa,” he told her, not wanting to search for the meaning of her words. She made a face and tilted her head, looking up at him.

“Do you want me to be more than just a student to you? Is that why you agreed to teach me and let me stay here even though I couldn’t pay you in gold? Is that why you wanted me to wear this dress for you? Am I expected to pay with,” she faltered, “my body?”

Vlad scowled, looking at her in shock and a bit of revulsion.

“ _No!_ No, of course not, why would you think that? I’m not expecting anything like that from you. I-” he exhaled sharply, “I gave you the dress because I thought you would like it. Your peasant clothes seemed very uncomfortable and rough. I thought you would appreciate having something nicer to wear. And-” he stopped himself, blinking and scowling, “wait - wait, did you say you _weren’t_ opposed to it?”

Lisa froze.

“ _What?_ ” She stuttered, cheeks flushing pink. Vlad blinked, thinking back on her words.

“You were asking me if I expected an intimate relationship with you, and you said you weren’t opposed to the idea.” He said the words quickly, before he had thought through them. Lisa was uncomfortable, caught in the web of her own words. She had said that.

“Ah- I,” she blushed fully, stuck as her cheeks and upper chest turned rosy pink, “I didn’t want you to stop tutoring me. That’s all I meant. Learning to be a doctor- this is everything I’ve wanted my whole life, so - if you told me I had to agree to sleep with you to get the apprenticeship, I would definitely consider it- of course I would, I mean, no other man has ever agreed to teach me science at all. If I had to sleep with you to learn all this, then-” she left off the end, finding it too embarrassing to say aloud. “Becoming a doctor means more to me than anything. I have no other options, nothing else to offer, and I’m a pragmatic woman, so-” Vlad raised a hand to silence her, exhaling. He felt slightly guilty for inspiring such a fierce blush. She was hot with embarrassment.

“You don’t need to continue. Lisa, I’m not going to ask that of you. I was never going to ask that of you. All I want is as I stated before: attentiveness and honesty. You do not have to pay me with anything, not gold, and certainly not - _that way_. Don’t do yourself the dishonor. A good teacher would never demand such an inappropriate relationship with a student.” Lisa scoffed.

“ _Ah_ , men do that sort of thing _all the time._ Using their power to get whatever they want.”

“Yes, of course, _men_ do that. But I said a good teacher would never do that. And I’m not the commonwealth. Lisa, please don’t-” he didn’t like being compared to base human men who would only give her knowledge in exchange for sex, “I will never ask that of you. Alright? You came here to learn, and that is what I will help you with.” 

“Thank you, sir.”

“I regret that you had such an impression of me. May I ask why you assumed that?” He wondered what it was he did to give her that impression. She blushed some more.

“Oh, nothing really, just- the dress, and all these nice things and the wine and… you stare sometimes... at me.” If Vlad was still capable of such a thing, he may have blushed, too. Instead, he turned his head, looking away from her.

“ _Ah._ I did not mean to make you uncomfortable. Although I admit I’m sorely out of practice dealing with-”

“Women?” She smiled.

“Anyone,” he sighed at himself, “I am something of a recluse. I haven’t spoken to anyone I wouldn’t consider an underling in… years. Decades probably.”

“Well, I understand that you’re rusty. I could tell that when we first met.”

“Indeed.” He thought back on their initial encounter.

“You’ll get better! I’ll help you learn to deal with people. I promise. I will try my best. Here, let me explain. The dress was nice. _Very_ nice. But you didn’t include a partlet or any sort of… proper undergarment, so I wasn’t sure how to interpret that. I’m kind of bare without it. I thought maybe it was intentional.”

“No, no, it wasn't. That was an oversight on my behalf. I’ll have the servants bring you something suitable. I admit I am no expert on women’s garments or that sort of thing. I will tell them to fill your wardrobes, dear, so you can choose whatever you like.”

“Oh, thank you. That’s very kind of you.” Vlad scoffed a bit at that.

“Kind is _never_ a word people use to describe me.”

“Well, they should. And I’m a person, I described you thus,” she smiled, pretty pink lips turning upward. They dismissed the subject and soon they were back in the lab.

“So, where shall we begin tonight, Master Dracula?” Lisa sighed happily, hands on the smooth lab table, filled with anticipation and scholarly excitement. She truly loved to learn.

“I think I shall teach you how to write first. In Latin. I’ll assign you writing practice to complete during the daytime. But for now, I need to instruct you. Sit here.” He used magic to pull back the chair for her and then he sat down himself. Lisa watched attentively as he rolled out a sheet of fine parchment and pulled a pen out from a drawer. 

“What is that?” Lisa asked him, looking at the thin metal instrument in his pale hand. Vlad blinked down at it. He forgot that humans did not even have incredibly basic instruments like metal pens. He forgot just how simple their kind were sometimes.

“It’s a pen. There is ink within the chamber. See,” he unscrewed the top to show her the ink inside. “When it runs dry you have to refill the pen with ink. It’s in the drawers throughout the labs and libraries. Be careful when you refill, though. It’s messy. It will stain your clothing.” 

“Okay. I’ve never seen that type of pen. I thought people usually write with quills from the feathers of a goose or swan.”

“Yes, that works too, but a pen is much neater and prevents ink blotting. For taking notes, you will have several different options. I have journals in parchment, otherwise known as vellum, and in paper made from tree pulp. I generally prefer to write on vellum, but either is fine. The notebooks and loose sheets are under the tables and on that bookshelf there,” he pointed. “But for now you’ll stick with large sheets of parchment like this so you can learn. You have to start with simple rote copying tasks until you master the writing basics.”

“Sure.”

“Watch me closely,” he said, “come closer, you can stand and watch my hand.” She did, standing right next to him, brushing his shoulder and studying his hand as he moved it on the page. His hand moved gracefully across the parchment, drawing out an ‘A’ and then a smaller ‘a’ with gentle movements. 

“This is ‘A’ in uppercase and lowercase. And ‘B’,” he began, drawing out a ‘B’ and a ‘b’ on the page. When the alphabet was done he stood up from his seat and offered it to her.

“Now it’s your turn. Go ahead,” he urged, and she sat down, tucking her skirt beneath her. Lisa looked over his beautiful, legible handwriting, worried slightly that she may not be able to emulate that perfection. She brushed her blonde braid over her shoulder and picked up the pen.

“Hold it as I did,” Vlad instructed, but Lisa fumbled a bit, trying to get her fingers in the right positions. “Here,” he sighed gently, showing her again. Lisa did her best with the first few letters and Vlad hummed in passive approval. But she stumbled with the ‘G’.

“No, no. Like this,” Dracula leaned forward and put his hand over hers, fingers wrapping around her own to grasp the pen with her. Lisa tried not to gasp at the contact, but a small noise came out of her mouth as a shiver went through her. When he put his hand over hers, there was something like a jolt, a shock, and not only because he was cool to the touch. _Focus! God._ His hand was almost twice as large, long fingers covering hers easily. Lisa bit her lip as he showed her how to move her hand correctly, trying to focus on the page. It felt strange to be so close to him. _He’s so cool to the touch and so... magical, so_ _otherworldly._ Lisa didn’t know how to explain it but it was a feeling she had on her skin. Something about him was so distinctly not human, even when she wasn’t looking at him. Not only the pallor of his skin gave away the difference, but also the aura of his presence, the feeling of his body beside her. It was almost like a spark, and energy in the air. 

“Is something wrong?” He asked, looking down at Lisa. She had lost focus and drifted off, staring at his silk-clad arm and the blood-red interior fabric of his cape. He was standing very close to her, her elbow almost brushing his waist. Vlad scowled.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I- nevermind,” she tried to shake it off, “heh, let me try again.” She did much better on the second attempt. Dracula pulled his hand away, lips pressing together. Then he turned and moved to the end of the table without another word. Lisa blinked up innocently at him, wondering why he had moved farther away. He sat there by himself, watching her with a quiet reservation.

“Go on.” Then he used magic to pull over a book, taking out the bookmark and reading with no further instruction. Lisa gulped, wondering if she had upset him in some way. She spent an hour practicing the letters and when she was done she stood with a smile of accomplishment. 

“I did it,” she took the parchment over to her master, “Is it acceptable, Lord Dracula?” 

“Mnh,” his face was impassive at best, possibly sullen, “It will do. Keep practicing. Every day you should practise them all until you can do them quickly. It took far too long this time. I want you to be able to write and keep up with me as I’m speaking.”

“Yes, of course. I understand, Master. I’ll practice every day.” Lisa watched his expression, still void of any excitement or enjoyment. She scowled at that.

“Is something wrong, my Lord?” Vlad blinked up at her. Red eyes on blue.

“No. Why do you ask me that?” His emotion had entirely changed.

“You- your expression is so solemn now. Are you irritated with me? I am sorry if I took too long with the letters. It was my first try. I’ll be much faster, very soon-” he raised a hand to silence her.

“Lisa, it’s alright. I’m not upset with you.” She found that strange because he looked like he had just come back from a funeral. She wondered what she had done to change his mood so drastically.

“Okay,” she sighed, not entirely buying it, “What shall we work on, then?” Her voice dropped and became much softer, not wanting to irritate or annoy him as it seemed he had entered a foul mood. He sighed, thinking. Or possibly ignoring her. Lisa couldn't tell. But she didn’t want to put up with that attitude all night. She approached him.

“Did I do something? I must have annoyed you in some way, or insulted you. I’m sorry for whatever it was.” She tried to soothe him, leaning against the tabletop beside him and looking over his fine, aristocratic features. Dracula’s red eyes shot up and met her own. He was studying her somehow. Lisa just gazed across at him with a small smile of hope, urging him to accept her apology. 

“Please, just tell me. It was unintentional, whatever it was, Master. I’d rather you just get it out in the open so we can move past it.” Vlad remembered she had no fear. No resignations. Just bold passion and determination. 

“Really?” He scowled slightly. Lisa nodded.

“Of course! Please tell me. What did I do?” Vlad considered her seriously for a moment, then he looked away and let out a breath, very slowly.

“...You cringed. When I touched your hand, you seemed so offended by it. I suppose I forget myself sometimes. I forget that I’m so monstrous,” he lamented idly, extending his fingers out and looking at his long nails briefly. Lisa sighed through her nose. 

“That wasn’t why I startled. I was startled by how cold your hands are. That’s all.”

“Oh… I see,” he put his hands away, tucking them under his cape. Lisa wondered, briefly, if he was saddened by that. She wasn’t sure why he would be. Unless he wanted her to view him as appealing. But she didn’t linger on that thought and neither did he.

“I didn’t mean to insult, I’m sure there’s nothing you can do about it-”

“Forget it,” he crossed his legs, “We can move on.”

“Good,” Lisa sighed, sitting down beside him at the lab table, “What shall we do now?”

“Tonight I’ll be giving you a lecture on basic chemistry and alchemy.” He stood and moved to one of the bookcases, selecting an old tome from a faraway shelf.

“Wonderful! I’m ready,” she smiled in earnest, delighted at the prospect of knowing such things as chemistry and alchemy. He came back to the lab table, book in hand.

“Four-hundred-and-twenty years before Christ, a Greek man named Empedocles theorized that all matter is made from four elements: earth, fire, air, and water. I'll show you the alchemical symbols for that in another lesson. And we already discussed the philosophers Democritus and Leucippus. Do you remember?”

“Yes. They believed in atomos, what you call atoms. The tiniest thing possible… as you know it. The smallest piece of anything.”

“Exactly. But they were only speculating… theorizing. And their ideas were not unopposed. Aristotle actually opposed the idea of atoms. It was around three hundred and eighty years before Christ that the concept of the four humors was established. We’ll address that soon. But for now, this,” he dropped a heavy bound book in front of her. Lisa startled at it.

“Naturalis Historia. Natural History.”

“Indeed,” Vlad came around to stand by her, “your first reading assignment. It was composed by Pliny the Elder, published in the year seventy-seven. He was the imperial administrator for the Emperor Vespasian. This is a collection of knowledge from the ancient world, divided into thirty-seven books, in ten volumes. They are all copied in this tome and presented alongside illustrations. The topics within include astronomy, geology, anthropology, physiology, zoology, botany, pharmacology, and many more. It is as much a philosophy text as it is an _enkyklios paedia_ , an encyclopedia. _Naturalis Historia_ is not easy to understand, and the phrasing is quite challenging to interpret. And I will not interpret it for you. If you need to know the meaning of a word or phrase you can write it down and ask me at night. But I will be asking _you_ what the passages mean, and what the philosophical arguments are therein. You will need to prove to me that you are worthy of being my pupil. I’m not just any teacher, Lisa. I need to see that you are worthy. You will read this book from cover to cover and understand it deeply.” She leaned forward to inspect it.

“This is a book you are fond of, then?” Lisa looked through the pages trepidatiously, careful not to harm the meticulously illustrated pages. Vlad huffed in amusement,

“Oh no, it’s quite foolish. Most of it, anyway. And it's not very scientific. More philosophical than scientific, for the most part. However, within the book, there are many conclusions he draws that are actually logical. And scientifically correct. They’re scattered throughout pages of lunacy. But it’s your task now to read this book and tell me what you think about his conclusions. You will be applying logical criticisms. Each night I want you to be able to speak to me about one of the books. One of the different subjects: astronomy, geology, or physiology. I will ask you questions and you should be able to answer them. Regardless of whether you were able to read all of the book or not. You must try to answer to the best of your ability.”

Lisa looked down at the book and gulped, nodding. She wanted to be confident but it seemed like an incredibly daunting task. She had never read so much or so quickly. 

“You look nervous,” Vlad muttered, walking around her, studying her pretty face, drawn in concentration. She inhaled deeply.

“A little. Yes, I am. I’ve never read so much so quickly. I’m used to reading one or two passages at a time, not books. And my Latin is mostly religious so... I hope I can understand it. Beyond that, I’m not accustomed to doing logical criticisms in any specific or scientific way. I just try to… use my best judgment.”

“That’s all I’m asking you to do. If you do not understand words, write them down and ask me when I wake. Try your best to determine the meaning. Latin is not too different from our language. The grammar is similar. And many of our words are similar to the Latin words. Lisa, I understand that this will be hard. However, if you are truly as dedicated as you so claim, you will not disappoint me. You will learn more each night. By sundown, you should have drawn your conclusions from the chapter. Then I will give a lecture on that particular book’s subject, and you will compare the two. After the lecture, you will tell me what Pliny has argued, or rather, what argument he has written down, and the main points therein. Then you will compare it to my lecture and give me your analysis. If you negatively criticize one of the concepts he presents, you must offer some logical reasoning for it. It’s not enough for you to tell me that he’s a moron,” Dracula chuckled, a low sound, “Which might be a fair statement, but that is not your task at hand. You have to break down the arguments presented and rule them as logical or illogical to the best of your ability.”

“I understand, Master Dracula. I will try my best.” He nodded. 

“You may begin now. I understand you may need translations of some words. Ask me if you need to.” Dracula then walked off, picked up a book from a nearby stand and sat with it at the table. 

“What are you going to work on?” Lisa asked with curiosity, watching him adjust his own pen to prepare for writing. 

“I’m writing a book.” He flipped the pages and found the place where he left off.

“Oh, on what subject?” She peered over to see what he was composing.

“Doctrina de motu accelerato.” After a moment of silence, he looked up at her, watching her try to decipher the meaning. Lisa was biting her lip in contemplation, looking away.

“Doctrine of… theory of…” she started to scowl, “Motu?” Vlad wanted to interrupt and tell her what the translation was, but he also wanted to be silent and see if she could guess correctly. “Mo… motum? Oh. Movement? Motion? The theory of motion?”

“Very good,” Vlad smiled at her briefly before looking back down at the page, “Theory of motion and acceleration. It’s advanced physics theory. But this is not your concern, dear. Focus on your task.”

“Yes, Master.” Lisa sat and began to read. The script was very meticulous and beautiful, but the words themselves were hard to understand.

_Prefatio._

_Plinius Secundus Vespasiano Suo S._

_Libros Naturalis Historiae, novicium Camenis Quiritium tuorum opus, natos apud me proxima fetura licentiore epistula narrare constitui tibi, iucundissime imperator- sit enim haec tui praefactio, verissima, dum maximi consenescit in patre-_

_Namque to solebas_

_Nugas esse aliquid meas putare._

Lisa sighed heavily without meaning to, a scowl eclipsing her pretty features. She read it again, trying to understand. A brief moment of panic went through her. She had been waiting for years for a teacher, dreaming of one. The last thing she would want to do is disappoint him. But she worried if she was not cut out for this. If she was not intelligent enough. 

“Do you need help, Lisa?” Vlad had heard her sighing. He had expected it. The reason he chose such a book for her was to see if she would give up when presenting with a daunting task or keep going. “Remember you can ask my help with the translation of words if you are not familiar with them. I understand your Latin is mostly religious and you’re probably not a strong reader yet.”

“I’m trying, my Lord. I promise. I just… it’s hard to understand.”

“Yes. Try one phrase at a time. Out loud. Translate one long phrase at a time.”

“Okay,” she cleared her throat, “ _Prefatio._ The preface. _Plinius Secundus Vespasiano Suo S…_ The second Pliny-Pliny the Second’s greeting to- dear Vespasiano?”

“That’s correct. It’s a greeting to Emperor Titus. His employer. Read the first paragraph, Lisa.” Vlad stood behind her, watching her sound out the words as smoothly as she could. 

“Libros Naturalis Historiae, novicium Camenis Quiritium tuorum opus, natos apud me proxima fetura licentiore epistula narrare constitui tibi, iucundissime imperator- sit enim haec tui praefactio, verissima, dum maximi consenescit in patre- Namque to solebas -Nugas esse aliquid meas putare… Do you even know what this means, my lord? Something about a letter- and offspring?”

“Do you not believe that I can translate it?” Vlad laughed at that a little. Lisa gave him a side glance, shrugging.

“I think you’re very intelligent, but that doesn’t mean that you can translate anything. Didn’t you say that the phrasing is challenging to interpret? I thought that meant that even you may have struggled to translate his ridiculous wording. Maybe he was really a lunatic. How am I to know you didn’t give me this under the presumption that I would fail because it is too difficult to interpret? That this is some sort of test to see how I would fare with a near-impossible task? And, to quote your own words from last night, I should take nothing as a given. I am to question everything. You said that if I ask you something you can explain it to me with evidence and reasoning, not blind interpretation.” 

“I did,” Vlad found himself smiling again. She not only had a good head on her shoulders but also a fiery spirit and passion within that he found enjoyable. “Pliny is certainly guilty of verboseness and pleonasm. But it’s your job to try to sort out the meaning.”

“Will you give me the meaning of just one paragraph, my Lord? So I can see what meaning you make of it?” With a smirk, he stepped in closer, hand on the back of her chair, and translated the passage since she was apparently challenging him to do so. 

“My most gracious highness, let this title, a supremely true one, be yours, while the title of ‘most eminent’ grows to old age with you, sire. I have resolved to recount to you, in a most presumptuous letter, the offspring of my latest travail, my volumes of this Natural History, a novel task for the native muses of your own Roman citizens, for was ever your way to deem my trifles something worth.” Lisa listened attentively, following along as he translated the text. She sighed gently afterward and Vlad walked back around to his seat. The annoyed expression on Lisa’s face was very amusing.

“If I met someone on the street who spoke to me like that, I would want to slap them in the face,” she muttered honestly, comically. Vlad laughed heartily at her earnestness, and she joined in. The sounds carried throughout his gilded lab, a place that never usually heard laughter from anyone.

“Ah, I do understand your frustration,” Dracula empathized, “You can skip the preface. It’s mostly incessant rambling. Start at book one. And good luck, dear.”

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**Please review!**

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_I want to thank Wikipedia, Google Translate, and all the people who spend time translating Latin... I don't know what kind of people do that, but they're appreciated nevertheless. I couldn't do it without you._

_And thank you for reading._

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Notes/Sources:

 **Rithmomachy/Philosopher's Game (a medieval game):** http://boardspace.net/rithmomachy/english/rules.html 

**Plasma-** https://www.wonderopolis.org/wonder/how-does-a-plasma-ball-work

 **See how the plasma ball works-** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDiyldCkdD0

 **The books from the middle ages-** https://www.pamela-hart.com/2017/02/hitting-the-books-medical-texts-of-the-middle-ages/

 **If you want to read this crazy book "Naturalis Historia", here you go-** https://archive.org/stream/naturalhistory01plinuoft#page/24/mode/2up 


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